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Valentine's Day. That time that occurs every February, once a year, that alarms those to close their blinds if they don’t have a significant other to gross out others in the halls. The ones who did want to earn the glares from those merely passing by, those people would get all fluttery, hesitantly standing in front of someone’s locker with chocolates, flowers or both. They would act like the cherry blossoms were in full bloom and were dramatically falling from their branches, creating a beautiful mess of pink on the ground. This would only add to their imaginary aesthetic of a heart and sparkle aura surrounding them and their loved one. But the point is that this day is to celebrate the feeling of love.
In Rui’s point of view, that is nice and all, but he would rather spend his time alone or with his friends just like any other day…. Is what he would say if he wasn’t planning on acting on these sappy feelings in his chest. It pained him to think about doing something like this.
Rui has always been an observant kid and left out pretty often, which resulted in him kind of lurking in the shadows. This led to him overhearing things he never asked to; he was in the moment and curiosity got the best of him. So there Rui was, in the back of the classroom, scribbling ideas on a sheet of scrap paper. It was Valentine's Day and Rui didn’t want to be there. He didn’t really care about the special day though, he just pretended it was any other day. But his classmates treated it otherwise. Rui could just smell the awkwardness in the air between the male and female students in his class. He would eventually overhear a boy confessing his “feelings” for someone else. The whole conversation was laced with stutters and awkward remarks. The girl would just stare at the boy, oblivious to what he’s reciting. Rui found it kind of funny, but he didn’t want to pry, so he just kept his giggles to himself, where they were safer. Rui tried to tune out the rest of these confessions throughout the whole day. Valentine’s Day just wasn’t his thing. Every year, he would spend it alone, just him and his ideas, but it didn’t really bother him. But obviously, that pattern has been broken.
It wasn’t like he was planning on building some magnificent robot to make a dramatic entrance with confetti and banners that were held by his drones, no. Rui just wanted to do something small, to display his affection to someone special; to show he cared.
And of course, that person had to be someone that he saw the majority of the day. Rui saw him at school, in the same class and even during practice. But it didn’t really matter, just a slight disturbance in his plan.
Rui, despite causing ruckus around Kamiyama, got involved with school activities. Plus, Tsukasa was in high regards with the student council and all because of his role in the disciplinary committee.
With all of this access to information about school events, Rui figured out what kind of speciality they were planning for Valentine’s Day. The student activity committee and the student council would create tiny goodie bags with chocolates for everyone with their names on it. Rui saw this first hand while stalking past the classroom they chose to work in. He saw them hard at work, about 30 students, all wrapping chocolates and tying the bags with cute heart-shaped ribbons. They decided that a group of upperclassmen volunteers would pass them out during the afternoon, where they would host a tiny Valentine’s festival. There would be mini food and game stalls set up by students; not the best quality but it was still fun. Banners and pink, red and white decorations would scatter the courtyard of the school. Rui was looking forward to it honestly, hanging out with his friends and taking in the sights. But suddenly it hit him. This would be a perfect opportunity to do somewhat of a romantic act on Tsukasa. So, that’s when he decided he would convince Tsukasa to volunteer to hand out the chocolates with him. Tsukasa quickly agreed, to Rui’s benefit. He said something along the lines of “helping out other students makes my image as a star shine brighter!”
With all of the planning done in advance, Rui would just have to prepare to execute it. He decided to invite Nene and Mizuki over to help him make and decorate homemade chocolates. Tsukasa didn’t deserve store-bought chocolates, no. He deserved the quality that was best fitted for a star. They ended up wrapping them with a cute red bow, identical to the ones the student council used to decorate theirs. This would be useful since Rui planned on disguising it in the basket among the other gift bags. He would purposely leave it at the bottom of the basket, waiting until they distributed every other bag before Rui pulled it out and offered it to Tsukasa. He would like to imagine Tsukasa’s initial reaction would be to thank and accept it from Rui. He could picture Tsukasa’s sunny smile lighting up his face.
Well honestly, to Rui, anything Tsukasa did made him light up. It made him glow, like a star. Even if he was doing something as simple as classwork or something as absurd as screaming at the top of his lungs, Rui found himself fascinated, always looking in his direction. He would follow his gaze just like Tsukasa would follow his directions Rui gave him as his director. Rui appreciated being able to help Tsukasa grow as an actor. But overall, he wanted Tsukasa to know how much he meant to him; how much he’s changed his life for the better.
Rui thought of his development like a metaphor. There he was, imagining himself in an empty classroom, the dark and gloomy clouds taking up all the space in the sky that was once blue. He was then pictured on the rooftop, slouched over on the bench, not a person in sight; just a lingering soul. He explicitly remembers how his hair was always disheveled and how his demeanour gave away his desire to not be alone. He yearned to understand why everyone else found him so strange. Those kinds of thoughts flooded his head on the daily, when he wasn’t doing something he enjoyed. He contrasted this to the current thoughts that filled his mind. Things like upcoming shows and events and plans with friends. The dark and gloomy clouds were pushed away by the stars need to shine through them, to let a little light into the class. The sky was now blue and he had all of his friends and family to thank for that; for being by his side, even in his worst moments. Especially Tsukasa. Rui hopes that he made that abundantly clear while confessing that he gave him the chance to grow. It was a major step in their relationship and Rui would personally never forget that moment or that school trip, where he allowed himself to form bonds with his classmates. But he felt like it wasn’t enough. That wasn’t the only thing he’d want to convey to his star. There was so much more he wanted to say. But everything takes time. And he learned that through his own experiences. It took a while to get to where he is now, but Rui couldn’t be more grateful.
Considering this and all of the little moments they’ve had throughout the course of their friendship, Rui had developed a feeling beyond mutual trust. At first, he thought it was admiration. He thought the bubbling feeling in his chest whenever he’d watch him perform was his reaction to Tsukasa displaying the progress he’s made as an actor. That Tsukasa acting was just so impactful, it made him feel that way. Yes, Tsukasa was a great actor, but that wasn’t all there was to that feeling. Rui quickly realized this wasn’t the case when he started to feel this way in other places that weren’t during practice or performances. It would mostly occur when Tsukasa would laugh, smile or just be in his presence. Every moment they spent together felt so precious to Rui, like he didn’t want to let go of it; didn’t want it to end.
It was clear that he had developed a crush on his troupe mate. Personally, Rui wouldn’t call it such a simple and broad term like a crush. He felt that his perception of Tsukasa and their relationship went much deeper than that. Hence why he resorted to making a cheesy Valentines gift for him. ‘What a great way to convey your strong emotions towards him,’ Rui thought to himself. The whole ordeal seemed dramatic and funny to him now. But he had spent all of that time preparing. It would be a let down to waste this opportunity
Now that all of the preparation was all set up, Rui had to wait for the next day to start executing his plan. He did some last minute check-ups. He stuffed the bag into the fridge so they wouldn’t melt, posting a note on it that it was his, so one of his parents didn’t take it. He set up the items he needed for the school day, as well as his uniform. Finally, he reached out to Tsukasa, reminding him of their little expedition tomorrow. Tsukasa replied instantly, telling him that he didn’t forget and was prepared. They bid their good nights and Rui set his phone off to the side. He drifted off to sleep, surprisingly not worried about how the events of the next day would unfold.
⋆⋅☆⋅⋆
The big day had arrived.
Rui woke up with the same positive mindset he had ended yesterday with, feeling energized. He was used to getting up early, now that Tsukasa had officially stated that he wanted to stop getting into trouble and keep tabs on Rui and his shenanigans. He had to step up his game and not let Tsukasa think he was fully void of being dragged into his troublesome acts. So, he had spent countless mornings preparing for the great stunt he was going to perform that day. In comparison to that, this was nothing but it still made Rui feel a little unsure.
He hopped off the couch and gathered all of his necessities for the day. This time, he wasn’t planning anything meticulously, so he opted for a normal routine that didn’t involve constructing drones and robots. Today was a special case, he didn’t have the headspace for any of that.
Rui made his way to the fridge, checking the compartments and scanning for the chocolates. He spotted them instantly, the red and pink packaging standing out. Pulling them out, he carefully stuffed it into his bag, in a pocket where it wouldn’t clash around and cause the chocolates to break on impact.
He plunged out of the house, making the short trek to Kamiyama. He didn’t even reach the gate when he heard Tsukasa practically screaming “Good Morning” at incoming students. Rui was the only student around that didn’t physically cover their ears, he was used to it. In fact, he found his outbursts and screams funny and that they positively added to his personality.
Tsukasa, after spotting Rui from across the courtyard, threw his arm up in the air and waved, signalling for him to come over. Rui's lips tugged into a smile as he also threw him a wave, but his was more elegant and polite.
“Good morning, Rui! Happy Valentine’s Day! I’m so excited for the festival!” Tsukasa chuckled as he wore his signature smile. “Good morning to you too, Tsukasa. Don’t forget we have to distribute the goody bags before getting to the festival!”
“How could I forget! I can’t wait,” Tsukasa beamed. They both giggled, earning stares from students just entering the building. “Well, see you in class, Rui! I have other students to greet!” Rui was about to turn around to leave, but instead he stayed. Maybe he could sprinkle in a little bit of his effect before starting the day without any chaotic events.
“Aren’t you going to check for any potential danger? Wow, Tsukasa. I can’t believe you’re letting me pass. Do you not care about your duties?” Rui said with a hint of fake displeasure to his tone.
Tsukasa was quick to react and defend his precious title, “Hey! You’re right! Don’t think I’m letting you go that easy!”
“I mean… you almost did, Tsukasa.”
Instead of acting up more, Tsukasa returned to a cheerful, yet calming demeanor. Rui didn’t expect that. He thought Tsukasa would give into Rui’s teasing and get all mad and pressed about how he takes his responsibilities seriously and perhaps go through the whole process of checking Rui for any dangerous equipment. But he didn’t. That intrigued Rui even more than the potential thought of Tsukasa falling for his sarcasm.
Rui’s face was overtaken by a sly grin, “Oh, what’s this?” Rui questioned.
Tsukasa pressed a hand to his forehead and sighed in response. “There’s no use pushing it. If you were actually planning something, you wouldn’t tell me. So, I’ll let you go.”
Rui, delighted by the response, exchanged farewells with Tsukasa and headed towards his class, where he would see him again in a bit.
Rui was also delighted by the fact that they shared a classroom together. He would never think that the people in charge of the classroom arrangement would seat them together. Every person in authority knew about their little schemes. Although it was probably to keep an eye on them, Rui was grateful nonetheless. Rui was able to spend every second of the school day with him, earning more insight to what he’s like in a learning environment. Tsukasa tended to ignore Rui for the most part, but that was hard, considering how much Rui wanted to interact with him. He liked to see Tsukasa get annoyed at him, despite how weird it was. It added to the enjoyment of being in a class with him. He got to see more sides to Tsukasa's personality and complexion, which made Rui feel pleased.
So, he sat down with the necessary materials and waited for his friend to arrive. After that, he would patiently wait for them to get pulled out of class to start their operation.
⋆⋅☆⋅⋆
They got pulled out of class around fifteen minutes before school let out. This was most likely to avoid large crowds after dismissal. He made sure to take his bag with him. After all, if he forgot it, he wouldn’t be able to go through with his plan. A member of the student council had excused them from the lesson, dragging the two along to the same room Rui saw them crafting the treats days ago. The student slid the door shut once they were all inside. Rui took in the view, multiple baskets filled to the brim with nicely decorated bags, other council members and upperclassmen. Most of them shot the two a weird look. To them, it was probably unusual that the two students that usually caused havoc on the campus day-to-day would be volunteering their scheming time to distribute little goody bags. They probably thought a teacher forced them or something along those lines.
If Tsukasa did see the glares and questionable glances, he payed no mind to them. Instead, he boasted about his entrance, greeting the familiar faces with his signature expressiveness. The familiar faces awkwardly greeted him in return, clearly not used to his loud nature yet.
After all was settled, one of the students explained that each of them would get a basket. It was up to them if they wanted to distribute them alone or with a partner. They were instructed to put each bag in their respective locker that corresponded with the name and number that was on a sheet they were given. The bags would also have their name and locker number on it.
The student also made it clear not to pull off any pranks during this process. Tsukasa and Rui snuck a glance at each other. Tsukasa gave him a disapproving look and Rui he grinned sheepishly at him. The reminder was obviously targeted at them.
Following the long speech of instructions, the two grabbed their own basket, glancing inside to look at the compartments. There they were: lots of small bags tied with red bows. The shape of the chocolates could be seen through the coloured plastic. Just as they were admiring the work of the other students, the bell rang loudly throughout the school, signalling the classes to disperse. Rui watched as the large groups of students rushed by at different paces, heading to begin the festival.
The group waited for the majority of students to clear out before starting their voluntary work. Once they were dismissed, Tsukasa grabbed Rui’s wrist, eager to get to work. He pulled them out of the class, baskets swaying as they moved faster. They stopped at their lockers and stuffed their belongings away. While Tsukasa was preoccupied with that, Rui took this opportunity to stash his own bag of chocolates at the bottom of his basket. Luckily, Tsukasa was too distracted to notice the sound of his hand shuffling against the plastic.
Tsukasa finished putting away his items and lifted his eyes to interlock with Rui’s. They stayed like that for a couple of seconds. They knew what they needed to do… and that was to get started on delivering the treats. But they both acted like they didn't, indulging in the awkward silence. If Tsukasa didn’t quickly turn away, he would've noticed the blush creeping onto Rui’s cheeks. Rui was glad he interrupted, he didn't want him seeing that.
“So… we should get going! What are you thinking? Who’s basket should we empty out first?”
Rui thought about it. If they emptied out Tsukasa’s basket first, they would then have to complete Rui’s and then Tsukasa’s attention would be solely focused on the untouched bag at the bottom. Rui wanted it to be a surprise, so that wasn't an option. And doing Rui’s basket was definitely not an option. With all that said, Rui spat out a reasonable solution, stumbling on his words. He tried to make it seem like he wasn’t derailing Tsukasa’s potential plan, but he wasn’t doing a great job at it.
“Why don’t we take turns? You do one of yours and then we’ll switch.”
Tsukasa perked up at that. “Wow! That’s actually a good idea. I expect nothing less from my director,” he chuckled. Rui appreciated the praise, but his mind decided to emphasize the word ‘my.’
“Okay. Let’s start,” Tsukasa said as he fished out a random bag from the basket. He carefully read the label and compared it to the sheet of paper he received. He connected the dots instantly, Rui could see it in his eyes.
“This first one is on the ground floor. Locker 1272.”
“Okay Tsukasa, lead the way!” Rui chirped as Tsukasa began to head towards the stairs, Rui in tow. They walked in a comfortable silence during their detour, hearing the noise start up outside, signalling the start of the festival. The noise wasn’t the only thing that indicated the start. The modern large glass windows also gave a peak to the party outside. Though it wasn’t very visible from where they were, Rui could spot a couple of students and confetti and banners sprinkle everywhere. Too bad they wouldn’t get to experience it first-hand. He would just wait until one of his friends relaid their personal experience and thoughts to him. Which was totally fine. He had more important things to do. Plus, there would always be other festivals. Their school held a lot of them.
Tsukasa let out a little “Aha!” meaning he had located the locker. He jogged up to it and started shuffling the lock around while muttering the code, “26……28…… and….. 14….!” He tugged on the lock and it came loose, letting the small door swing open. “Yes!” Tsukasa congratulated himself while elegantly shoving the respective bag into the locker without looking through the person’s personal belongings. He quickly closed it and put a proud arm to his hip.
“You see Rui? That’s how a true star does it! Ha! ha!”
“Ah, I see. Well done. Perhaps you’re better at this than I anticipated,” he chuckled. He was lying, of course. He knew Tsukasa could do this easily. He was able to grasp new acting skills all the time, this was a breeze for him.
“Haha. Well let’s continue, pull one out of yours.” He did as he was told, shuffling his hand inside for a random one. He pulled out one with the locker number starting with 2. That meant it was on the second floor. They quickly scouted the locker, neatly placing the plastic bag inside.
They continued this cycle about eight times. They would take turns picking a bag out of their baskets, read the name and locker number, compare it to the name on the sheet and make their way towards it. On the way, maybe they would encounter other students that were either also volunteering or just wandering around. If it was Tsukasa’s turn, he would boast about successful run and it would be Rui’s turn. They did this a couple of times in comfortable silence.
On the tenth run, which was Rui’s turn, they had to return to the ground floor. That’s where they ran into Mizuki, fully equip with valentine accessories and a matching pink, red and white outfit. They spotted them across the hallway, already frantically waving their arms around. “Hey, Rui! Tsukasa! What are you doing?” They asked as they ran up to the two of them.
Mizuki peeked inside of the basket to take a look at what was in them. They were content, proud of the design choice probably. Mizuki asked their previous question like they didn’t know what was going on. They definitely knew what they were doing. Mizuki literally helped Rui bake the chocolates and Rui spent countless minutes talking about how he was going to execute it and how he felt about the whole ordeal. He internally rolled his eyes, they just wanted to mess with him.
Mizuki gave Rui a glance. He knew that look all too well. He shook his head, to signal to them that he didn’t make his move on Tsukasa yet.
Joyous that someone had taken interest in their expedition, Tsukasa proudly stated what they were doing, “Hello Mizuki! We are helping to distribute the treat bags!”
“Oooo! That seems fun! How’s it coming along?”
Tsukasa looked into both of their baskets before answering, “We are almost halfway done! Wow, I can't believe it! I knew we were doing this really fast!”
Mizuki giggled. “Glad you’re having fun.” They paused for a second before continuing, painting a smirk on their face. “The festival outside is pretty fun! You guys would totally enjoy it! Come to think of it…. Rui..? Why did you do this instead? Huh?” Rui internally rolled his eyes for the second time. He knew they were just teasing him, but in front of Tsukasa? Really? He had to shut this down. He had a journey to continue.
Tsukasa opened his mouth to respond, but got cut off by Rui clapping his hands together, “Well! Lovely seeing you here Mizuki! We better be on our way! Bye!” Rui quickly forced out before grabbing Tsukasa by the wrist and speeding down the hallway to their destination. Tsukasa gasped, glancing back while waving. He yelled, “Goodbye Mizuki! Enjoy the rest of your day!” Before turning his head back around.
Rui nonchalantly rubbed off on the fact that he just pulled Tsukasa through a really long hallway. He tried his best not to pant after the long run and concentrated on opening the locker. If he wasn’t so concentrated, he would have seen the concerned glare he was earning. Their silence admitted an uncomfortable sense into the air around them.
But, he was grateful Tsukasa didn’t bring up the stunt he just pulled when he put the bag in or when Tsukasa pulled one out of his basket. Rui heaved a sigh of relief. Thank goodness Tsukasa wouldn’t press the matter and recite Mizuki’s question to him.
He spoke too soon. He knew he wouldn’t have assumed the situation was resolved.
Just after Tsukasa pulled out yet another bag and they set off on another detour, he brought it up. “Hey… about what Mizuki said back there… I was also wondering about that. Why did you decide to do this?” Rui let the question sink in. He dragged the silence on for too long at that point. He needed to think of an excuse. Something that wouldn’t reveal his true intentions. Quick.
But he couldn’t think of anything. Usually he would have created a sarcastic remark by now that would turn Tsukasa hot-headed. At the worst possible time, his mind drew a blank. Perhaps it was the immense pressure of someone he deeply care about awaiting an important answer. Or maybe it was because he was too occupied by thinking about how he couldn’t let his secret slip so soon.
“I- uhh… just wanted to uh you know… lay back today. A-and I wanted to spend time with you….,” the amount of stutters and ‘uh’s’ in those sentences was embarrassing. But he couldn’t take it back now. Rui had set his reasoning out of his mouth and into the air around them to linger. After realizing what he said, he immediately wanted to somehow erase Tsukasa’s memory and forget he ever said that. He would admit, the first part of taking it easy today seemed like a viable excuse… but Rui didn’t need to add what he did after. “And I wanted to spend time with you…” Seriously? Obviously he wanted to hang out with Tsukasa, but he didn’t need to plead so desperately to him. To make it seem like the only way they could hang out was to volunteer to hand out candies. He sighed, though he made sure to do it quietly so the boy next to him wouldn’t hear.
But when he glanced over at Tsukasa, wondering why he wasn’t responding, he saw it. He couldn’t mistake it. He saw it with his own two eyes. Or maybe they deceived him, but he wanted to play into his delusion. Tsukasa’s checks turned the slightest shade of pink. He was also forming a goofy smile on his face. Rui was delighted, but overall confused. This seemed out of character for Tsukasa.
“Ah. I see. Well I’m happy you wanted to spend today with me,” Tsukasa finally spoke. That was also very out of character, but Rui accepted the response nonetheless. He smiled to himself and without thinking, he blurted out the first thing that popped into his mind. “Why wouldn’t I?” This time, they both glanced at each other, gaze lingering for too long. And this time, they both turned a shade of pink.
Tsukasa opened his mouth to say something but got interrupted yet again when Rui spotted the locker they needed. “Ah. It seems as if we have arrived.” The awkward tension would eat him alive if he didn’t say anything.
⋆⋅☆⋅⋆
Rui felt relieved after the last of their deliveries. They fortunately felt less tense since Rui interrupted Tsukasa. Who knows what he would’ve said. The two of them felt more comfortable, indulging in conversations about various topics, like normal.
The two had fallen into a rhythm, a cycle, of sliding the bags into lockers. Although they had only gotten a portion of the students, Rui felt as if they had opened every locker in Kamiyama. It had taken longer than anticipated, the sun already starting to descend.
“Hey… Rui? Do you have any left?” Tsukasa asked. Rui pretended to intently peer into his basket. He knew what lay at the bottom, he just wanted to convince Tsukasa that there was nothing in his basket. “Nope. What about you?” “No.” They let that sink in.
Tsukasa raised his arms in the air, his basket following and swinging all over the place. “Yes! We finally finished! Good job, Rui! We made a great team,” Tsukasa then outstretched his hand, asking for a high-five. Rui grinned and accepted the offer, the gesture producing a noise that echoed in the empty hallways.
“Okay. Let’s go put this stuff away,” Rui stated, accidentally letting his nervous tone flock through his words. Suddenly, he was getting all anxious. He knew what was about to come. He couldn’t back down now. He had spent countless hours preparing for this. Rui can’t let it go to waste… and he won’t. He just needs to overcome this feeling of anxiety before reaching their destination.
They trotted up the stairs in silence. Although to Rui it wouldn’t be completely silent, his heart was beating so loud that it might fall out of his chest. They had reached the third floor and that’s when Rui felt the climax of his anxiousness. He totally felt like he might pass out.
Right at the top of the stairs, right in front of the abnormally large windows letting in heaps of light casted from the setting sun, Rui took a deep breath.
“Tsukasa.”
Tsukasa froze and turned around, a curious expression painted on his face. Rui lit up at the view in front of him. The afternoon sun reflected its light onto the star before him, brightening his bright features even more. His marigold eyes sparkle, full of anticipation. His blond hair accompanied by his peachy accents glowed and radiated an elegant energy. The curious expression made him look like a lost dog; it made him look cute. The way his uniform perfectly fit his body, not too loose or too tight anywhere, just perfect. Rui was breathless. How could the simple lighting of the sun make someone already gorgeous even more breathtaking?
Rui swallowed his pride and pulled out the last thing sitting at the bottom of the basket. The thing that would conclude their journey. Tsukasa noticed it as soon as he pulled it out, “Oh! You still have one more? Why didn’t you say-” Rui took a step forward, using the same hand he held the contraption in to signal that Tsukasa shouldn’t continue.
Probably overwhelmed by the situation, Tsukasa kept sputtering nonsense, “R-Rui? What are you doing?” He gasped lightly when Rui stuck out the treat toward him.
Rui wasted no time, “For you. Happy Valentine's Day, Tsukasa. I want you to know how much I cherish and care about your presence.”
After the words were out there, he could already feel his heart picking up the pace again and his face flushing.
“Rui!..” He said as he took the bag from Rui, brushing his hand against Rui’s. “I-I don’t know what to say..!” He stumbled as he stared at it, eyes practically glowing. Rui smiled a little too wide for the moment. Tsukasa’s reaction overjoyed him. He was so pleased he accepted it.
“Thank you. Happy Valentine's Day,” he paused for a second. “I could say the same about you… you know? Like how I care about you and all that…” “I could probably-” Tsukasa got cut off by a door sliding open close by. They both froze and tensed momentarily, then titled their head to face the door that opened.
The door to the disciplinary committee’s office.
A student casually walked out and spotted the two immediately. Who wouldn’t miss the mix of complementary purple and yellow. With three locked eyes, Tsukasa’s features relaxed, most likely because he recognized the student in question.
“Ah! Tsukasa! The committee’s head was just looking for you! Said something about ‘being your turn to supervise the festival.’ I’m not sure… but it sounds pretty important. You should probably check it out.” After the student relayed the information, their eyes darted to the scene in front of them. The chocolates in Tsukasa’s hand, the baskets, Rui’s tomato face. “Oh. Sorry for interrupting. I’ll just make my way downstairs,” they said as they brushed past the two, sending a kind smile their way before disappearing down the stairwell and around the corner. After they left, the two locked eyes again, resuming what they had yet to finish.
“Oh. I guess I have to leave. I’m sorry about that,” Tsukasa frowned. “No worries. We were just finishing, weren't we? Here let me take your basket.” Tsukasa reluctantly gave Rui the basket, now light because of the only object inside being the slip of paper. Rui slid the handle over his arm, keeping it balanced with his own.
“Actually….,” Tsukasa grinned, “We aren’t done yet…”
Before Rui could question what he meant, Tsukasa quickly stepped forward, slid his free hand into Rui’s and leaned forward to place his lips onto Rui’s. Rui gasped as his eyes widened at the soft sensation on his face. Tsukasa kissed him.
The kiss was filled with unspoken words, about the mutual trust they have grown together, the care they had for each other, that one section of their thoughts that was always occupied by the other and the chances they gave each other to grow into better people. It seemed as though everything Tsukasa wanted to say to Rui in that moment was all put into the emotions surrounding a single, simple kiss. Tsukasa was the type of person to yell and boast about what he wanted. And he would try his hardest and even sacrifice parts of his health to get it. He didn't really seem like the type to accomplish things through poetic means. Although Rui knew Tsukasa was bold, he definitely didn't expect this.
They lingered there for a bit, before Tsukasa slowly pulled away, unslotting his hand out of Rui’s. Tsukasa, his face the same shade of bright red as Rui’s, parted his lips, surprised at his own course of action. Rui still couldn’t even process what happened. The delicate feeling remained tingling on his lips. He never wanted it to leave.
“I’ve got to go now, goodbye, Rui..” as Tsukasa stepped down the stairs, Rui swore he heard him mutter something else. But it was probably his brain playing tricks on him. Perhaps what just happened rewired his ability to think. He raised a hand up to his face, still warm and red from what occurred.
This confirmed his suspicion. Tsukasa felt the same. Maybe not as strongly or in the same sense, but they still felt a similar feeling when together. Other than that, words couldn’t really express how he felt. He would need the whole weekend to recover.
Mizuki thought their day was interesting? They better wait until Rui told them about his afternoon. And perhaps he would tell Nene as well and potentially Emu. He just couldn’t contain his excitement.
Still recovering from the initial shock of it all, Rui thought of the potential aftermath of the situation. He didn’t even want to consider the possibility of the harmful awkwardness that would infiltrate their space on Monday. That is, if he avoided interacting with the blonde over the weekend. It would be hard, with his over-the-top personality and all, but it was manageable. Rui needed some time to recollect his thoughts and he presumed that Tsukasa did as well. He imagined the star opening up the bag once he settled back at his residence. He would have a cute surprised expression plastered on his face while he admired the different patterns on the chocolate hearts. The shape of the chocolates would show that Rui meant what he said before. Assuming Tsukasa did like homemade chocolates, he would eat them happily and reflect on the thoughts and decisions he made that day. Hopefully he wouldn’t end up regretting it.
While the feeling remained printed on his face, Rui reminisced about all that had happened in the past few hours. It all seemed surreal. Maybe he should indulge in celebrating Valentine’s Day from now on.