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The kitten on Iku’s arm was sad again.
He really should have been paying attention to the story his sister was telling to everyone at the dinner table, but when he saw the curled up Siamese on his forearm, he couldn’t help but run his finger over it in a petting motion. “Please don’t cry,” he murmured. “Please don’t be sad.” Despite his pleas, the cat merely flattened its ears and retreated further into itself.
“Iku, who are you talking to?” His mother brushed his hand away and frowned at the kitten. “Again? That’s the third time this week…”
Iku burst into tears. “I don’t want it to be sad, mommy,” he sobbed. “I don’t want my soulmate to be sad!”
“Come here, sweetie.” His mother pulled him into a gentle embrace. “Just keep on giving it love,” she murmured into the five-year-old’s hair. “Just keep reminding the kitten that you’ll always be there and that you’ll always love it, okay?”
“Okay,” Iku murmured.
Rui’s brother was upset again.
Rui ran up to Rei when he walked out of the piano room, but stopped dead in his tracks when he noticed the sullen look in the elder’s eyes. He swallowed nervously. Why does Rei look so sad?
“Onii-chan?”
“It’s your turn, Rui.” Rei’s voice was sullen and hollow.
“A-are you okay?” Rui reached out for his brother’s arm, but Rei moved away at the last second.
“I-I’m fine.” He held his arm close to his chest, just out of Rui’s reach. “Don’t worry about me, Rui.”
“But—”
“Mom is waiting inside.” Rei nodded at the door. “Go on. A prodigy like you shouldn’t make her wait.”
“Onii-chan!” Rui called out for his brother, but Rei had already disappeared down the hallway. Tears began to well in his eyes. Why is Rei so mad? I don’t want him to be mad! Did I do something?
“Rui?” Rui turned and saw his mother step out into the hallway. “There you are. It’s time for your lesson.”
“C-coming.” He looked back in the direction his brother had run off in, then allowed his mother to guide him into the room. As she readjusted the piano bench for him, he held up his hands. As he expected, there was a teddy bear was sitting on his left palm. It was looking worriedly into the distance and reaching out for something, just like Rui had done to Rei moments before.
“Ready, Rui.”
He wiped his eyes, took a seat on the bench, and rested his fingers on the ivory keys.
“Your soulmate seems really happy today!” Reina remarked cheerfully as she pointed to the kitten scampering happily across Iku’s forearm. “That’s a turn for the better, isn’t it? Well, it’s a lot better than my soulmate, anyways.” She held out her palm to show Iku the camellia blooming on it.
“It feels like it too!” Iku laughed just as the kitten settled down and began to purr. “Ah, it tickles!”
“Oh, is Ikkun ticklish?” Reina giggled.
“I’m going to be more ticklish if you keep playing with my kitty,” Iku said.
Reina puffed her cheeks in annoyance, but released his arm and returned to playing with her bubble wand. “I’m jealous of you,” she admitted as she blew a stream of bubbles. “Your soulmate at least changes emotions every now and then. Meanwhile, mine just sits and blossoms all so boringly.” Her blue eyes narrowed at her camellia. “Do you think my soulmate is a robot?”
Iku rolled his eyes. “Reina-chan, I’m sure even a robot would love you.”
Reina smiled happily. “Daww, thanks, Ikkun.”
All of a sudden, the kitten stopped purring. Iku raised his arm and frowned when he saw the kitten flatten its ears. It then backed up and began to howl. There was no sound, but he could hear the vibration deep in his bones.
His soulmate wasn’t happy anymore. Yet, sad didn’t quite describe the feeling the kitten was radiating with either.
“Ikkun?” Reina dropped her bubble wand and grabbed her friend’s arm. “Oh no.”
“It’s upset again…” He felt tears well up in his eyes. “Why?” He brushed his fingers over the kitten to try and comfort it, to no avail. “Please don’t cry,” he pleaded.
“Come here, Ikkun.” Reina threw her arms around him and held him tight. “Please be happy again, little kitty,” she begged. “Please!”
“Don’t cry, Rui.” His mother continued to clean the wound. The sting of the rubbing alcohol, however, only made Rui’s sobs even worse. “Look at what you’ve done, Rei,” she sighed.
Rei tightened his grip on his sleeves. “I’m sorry.”
“You should be,” she snapped as she bandaged the gash. “What if you hurt his fingers? Then he wouldn’t be able to play.” She began to clean the second wound. “You’re lucky this isn’t serious.”
“I’m sorry.” Rei’s hands began to tremble. “I’m sorry, mom. I’m sorry, Rui.”
“Just go to your room, Rei. I’ll talk to you in a bit.”
Rei gave his brother one last mournful look before obeying. Rui hiccupped as his mother finally bandaged the second gash.
“There you go,” she said, closing the first aid kit. “I’ll go talk to Rei now. Rest up, okay?” She rubbed Rui’s arm. “We’ll have another lesson in a few days, so remember to practice, alright?”
Rui hiccupped again as he nodded. His mother squeezed his arm before standing up and taking the first aid kit out of the room. Rui waited until she closed his door before uncurling his fist. The teddy bear was sitting on his palm, blowing bubbles. In between blows, it would sit and watch the drifting spheres, waiting until they all popped before creating another colorful stream.
“How can you sit there so happily like that?” he croaked. “It’s not fair…”
"Oh! Is that your soulmate mark, Iku?” Koi eagerly pointed at the green kitten on his collar.
Iku rested his fingers right under the kitten’s paws. “Yeah.” He then spotted the golden stars twinkling merrily on Koi’s cheek. “I guess that’s yours right there!” he laughed.
Koi covered his cheek and pretended to look offended. “Don’t make fun of it!”
“I’m not,” Iku insisted. “It just looks super funny right there.”
“I know, I know.” Koi lowered his hands. “It does that whenever my soulmate is super happy, which is, like, all the time.”
“Sounds like the complete opposite of mine.” Iku looked back down at his kitten. The Siamese was sitting stiffly on his forearm. Its tan eyes were staring intently into the distance. “Ah, it’s serious again,” he sighed. “I wonder why I can never get it to smile…”
“Shame.” Koi frowned. “Your mark is cute too.”
Iku smiled sheepishly. “Thanks.”
The teddy bear on his wrist was humming happily. Rui traced the outline of the cheerful bear before pulling his sleeve down and forcing himself to look at the cameras flashing in front of him. When the photoshoot was over, he stepped down from the stage and joined his father, who was waiting in the back.
“You played well,” he complimented as he took the bouquet from Rui. “Come on. Let’s go meet up your mother.”
Not Rei, Rui noted. Just mom .
Rui looked back down at his wrist when he was on the subway. The teddy bear was still humming to itself. There was no sound, but Rui could feel the vibrations of the bear’s voice resonating with his bones. He quickly recognized the tune to be the Flea Waltz.
Does my soulmate like music? He mused as he began to hum along with his tattoo. Can they play the piano just like me? Maybe even better than me?
He immediately regretted having such a thought.
Koi was puffing his cheeks in a pout. He would have appeared to be furious if it weren’t for the golden stars twinkling merrily under his eyes. Iku was extremely tempted to poke his friend’s cheek, but he knew that Koi would erupt if he did, so he refrained from doing so. Ai, on the other hand, smiled and reached over to pinch her brother’s cheek.
“Is onii-chan upset again? It’s hard to tell when you look this cute!”
“Ai, don’t do that!” Koi wailed.
Ai giggled, but released her twin in an instant. “Okay, I’m going to go find Yuki now.” She waved farewell to Iku and Koi before hopping off the desk and heading towards her friend.
“The stars are happy again,” Iku finally said.
“They’ve been like that all week,” Koi grumbled. “Seriously, does my soulmate ever get mad or sad or anything?”
“I think being happy is better than the emotionless blossoming Reina-chan’s mark does.”
“True.” Koi waved his hand. “Speaking of which, how is your mark doing?”
“Mine?” Iku frowned and held up his hand. The Siamese kitten stared back at him. Its eyes appeared to be distant and glassy. “...It’s been better,” he admitted. Please don’t give me that look, he silently begged. Please don’t be sad anymore.
Rui woke up to the sound of raindrops pattering against the window panes. He stretched his back and yawned before rolling over on the bed. As he expected, there was still sunlight streaming through the crack between the drawn curtains. He stared at the sliver of light for a moment, then finally pushed himself up and off the bed.
There was a single text hovering on his phone’s lock screen. “I will be back in an hour,” his mother had written. “We’ll have dinner when I get back.”
He had received the message fifteen minutes ago, meaning that he still had over a half hour before dinner. He puffed his cheeks in annoyance at the thought, but quickly banished it from his mind and decided to pull back the curtains instead. Outside, the rain was gently pattering against the panes, creating various droplets that dribbled down the glass surface. He opened the window and leaned against the frame. The water felt icy cold on his skin, but it was a welcomed sensation all the same.
It’s raining again, he thought to himself as he began to hum Chopin’s Nocturne No. 20. I wonder if it’s raining back in Japan. He held his hand up towards the light and was surprised to see that the teddy bear was resting on its side just below his knuckles. It seemed to be in a deep slumber, judging by the various z’s trailing from its mouth and the steady rise and fall of its chest. I wonder if my soulmate is having a nice dream, he mused as he closed the window.
“Sweet dreams,” he whispered as he pressed a kiss to the bear’s forehead.
The bear continued to slumber on.
Iku jolted when he splashed cold water on his face. The sensation was startling enough that he was woken up in an instant, something that he greatly needed. After wiping his face dry, he stared at his reflection in the mirror. The green Siamese was curled up in a ball on his chest, fast asleep.
I wonder if my soulmate is a heavy sleeper. He smiled to himself and tickled it with his finger. As he expected, the cat didn’t move. Is it just me, or did it grow a bit overnight?
“Iku, are you..?” Iku turned and saw his sister standing in the doorway. She cooed when she saw the kitten resting beneath his collarbone. “Aww, it’s sleeping!”
“Do you need the bathroom, aneki?” Iku reached for his shirt and pulled it over his head. “I’m done, so it’s all yours.”
“Thank you.” She patted his head and closed the door the second he left the room. Iku let out a deep sigh, but lifted his collar just enough so that he could look back down at the slumbering cat.
“Sleep well, little kitten,” he whispered. “I’ll be right here if you ever need me.”
A tapping sound drew Rui’s attention away from the piano and towards the window. His fingers paused on the keys once he saw who was waving at him through the glass panes. With a sigh, he got up from the piano and opened the window.
“Yuno? What are you doing here?”
Yuno leaned against the window ledge and smiled up at him. “I heard you came back from overseas, so I decided to drop by and say hello!” Her sea green eyes studied the room carefully. “On second thought, I think going outside will do you some good.”
Rui paled in an instant. “No.”
“Please?” she begged. “We can go to the pet store and look at some cats! Or even take a walk around the block. Oh, I heard that there’s this great new cafe downtown! We should check it out!”
For a second, Rui was tempted to join his neighbor on an adventure. But then he remembered what his mother had said about the upcoming competition. “I need to practice,” he finally replied.
“Oh, alright.” Yuno sighed in defeat. “There’s no changing your mind if that’s the case...oh.” She tilted her head curiously.
“What?” Rui asked.
“There’s a fluffy teddy bear running around on your face,” she giggled. “It’s cute!” She held up her phone so he could see his reflection. Sure enough, the teddy bear was scampering back and forth in a frenzy up his neck, over one cheek, across his forehead, and down the opposite cheek.
“Again?!” Rui watched the bear disappear under his collar. “That’s the third time this month…”
“Your soulmate seems pretty active, if you ask me,” Yuno said as she pocketed her phone. “See, it’ll do you some good if you go outside, you frail kitten. What if your soulmate happens to be an athlete of sorts? How are you going to keep up with them if you don’t go out every now and then?”
Rui puffed his cheeks in annoyance. “I’m not frail.”
“Your soulmate begs to differ.”
“Yuno!”
Iku was in high spirits today. Not only had his track meet gone well, but he was also going to meet with Reina face-to-face for the first time in months.
“Ikkun!” Reina greeted him with a bone-crushing hug. “It’s been forever! Man, I am so glad to see you!”
“It’s nice to see you too, Reina-chan,” Iku wheezed, “but you’re crushing my ribs.”
She yelped and released him in an instant. “Sorry! I got super excited. It’s just that I haven’t seen you ever since I moved!”
“I understand. It’s alright,” Iku laughed. “You got taller!”
“So did you! Taller and stronger, I bet.” Reina lifted her arms and pretended to flex her muscles. “Meanwhile, I’ve been training my mind to stay up until the wee hours of morning!”
“Please go to bed at a reasonable time.”
Reina rolled her eyes. “Well, are we going to go to karaoke or not?” she asked. “There’s this one song that I really want to sing with you!” She latched onto his arm and began dragging him down the path.
“Reina-chan, wait up!”
Luckily for Iku, Reina had calmed down considerably by the time they reached the karaoke house.
“Still no sign of who my robotic flower is!” Reina announced proudly as they entered their room. “It’s to be expected, though.”
“Yeah,” Iku agreed. “Most people don’t find their soulmates until university anyways.”
Reina rolled her eyes. “I know that, but I’d still like to know if my soulmate is capable of being something other than calm and collected.”
“I can't disagree with that…”
“By the way, how's your kitty doing?” Reina asked. “Is it still upset?”
“I honestly can’t tell sometimes.” Iku looked down at his arm. Even though the lighting was dim, he could still see that the cat sitting upright on his bicep, staring attentively in Reina’s direction. It seemed to be uncomfortable, for it nervously wiggled every now and then. “My soulmate has either become a very serious person, or frequently attends formal events.”
“Ooo, maybe you caught yourself a little royal kitty,” Reina joked.
“I highly doubt that,” Iku laughed as he scrolled through the songs list. “What was the song you wanted to sing again? Yum-Yum Love or something?”
All of a sudden, Rui angrily slammed the keyboard. He immediately regretted his actions and was ashamed that he would abuse such a precious instrument in such a manner. However, his guilt did nothing to quell his anger and frustration.
Why can’t I make the sounds I want to make? He thought. Every time I play, the same sound comes out. Why?!
“Rui..?”
He jumped in his seat and peered over the piano. Rei was standing in the doorway, hand poised to knock on the frame. Rui didn’t have to ask to find out if his brother had heard the keyboard slam. His expression told all.
“Dinner's almost ready,” he finally said. “You should come to the table when you’re finished.”
“...Okay.” Rui nodded.
Rei hesitated. “You...shouldn’t give up, Rui,” he murmured. “Even if you’re frustrated.”
Rui pursed his lips. Rei sighed.
“Walk your own path of music, Rui. For me too, okay?”
“Nii-san…”
“See you in a bit.” Rei closed the door.
Rui stared at the doorway for what seemed to be an eternity.
“ You shouldn’t give up.”
Rui rested his hands in his lap. Give up what? He thought bitterly. What is there to give up anymore? Music is a part of me. The piano is a part of me. I love them. Hot tears began streaming down his face. Then why am I so upset?
His tears stopped when the teddy bear waddled onto his palm. It seemed to be taking a casual stroll, for it was wearing a top hat and singing a silent tune. The vibrations in Rui’s bones told him that the bear was singing some song he was unfamiliar with. It was a lively sound, something completely different from the classical pieces Rui had been memorizing his entire life.
What is this sound? His eyes followed the teddy bear back up his arm, where it disappeared under the sleeve of his jacket. It was still singing merrily to the unfamiliar, yet comforting tune. Rui smiled and lowered the lid over the keyboard. Whatever it is, it’s beautiful.
That evening, instead of practicing like he always did, Rui went to his room and desperately searched for the song his tattoo had been singing. When he finally found it, he sat and played it on loop for seemingly hours.
Maybe music isn’t what I quite thought it to be, he finally concluded. Maybe it’s something completely different.
Koi was in a very chipper mood today. While seeing the pink-haired boy in bright spirits wasn’t unusual, he seemed to be on top of the world, something that didn’t happen very often.
“What’s making you so cheerful today?” Iku asked as his friend plopped down in the desk across from him. Koi grinned in response and pointed to the stars twinkling on his neck.
“Guess who I’m meeting up with today!”
Iku’s eyes widened. “Really?” Koi nodded. “Congratulations! Who is it? What are they like? When did you two first meet?”
“His name’s Kakeru. He’s quite a literal ball of sunshine,” Koi answered. “And has horrible luck. But he’s mostly a jolly good fellow. Here.” He held his phone up to show Iku a picture of his golden haired, orange-eyed soulmate. “We met last night at the hundred yen store. Not the most romantic place to run into the person with your tattoo, but I guess it could always be worse.”
“That’s great, Koi.” Iku smiled warmly. “I hope you two find happiness.”
“I don’t think Kakeru needs any help finding that. I mean, look at him.” He gestured to the sparkling stars on his face. “But thanks, Iku.” Koi smiled. “Oh, speaking of soulmates, how goes your cat?”
“My cat? Uh…” Iku rolled up his sleeve. The Siamese was standing on his forearm, arching its back and bristling its fur. “Woah. That’s the first time I’ve seen it get mad.”
“Weird.” Koi tapped his chin in thought. “Maybe your soulmate’s going through a rebellious stage.”
“Really, Koi?”
“What? I could be right!”
His mother was looking through her collection of piano scores, muttering to herself about various composers and song titles. Rui, however, was more focused on the scores themselves. He stared at them intensely, as if the hated music sheets would burn up and dissolve into ashes if he stared at them long enough.
“You have a bright future in music, Rui,” his mother finally said. “A much brighter one than your brother.”
Something inside Rui lurched at the mention of Rei.
“He got into a top high school, though, didn’t he?”
His mother pursed her lips. “Academically, yes.” Not in music, was implied by her tone.
“...Mom.”
“Yes?” His mother licked her thumb and opened a book. “Hmm, maybe this one will suit you this time…”
“What if I…” He hesitated.
“If you what?”
He swallowed. “What if I told you that I...don’t want to play classical music anymore?”
His words caught the attention of not only his mother, but also his father, who had just passed by the room. He froze in the doorway and stared at his youngest son.
“What would you be doing then?” he asked.
“If you’re not going to play classical, then...there’s nothing for you to play,” his mother supplemented.
“I don’t think that’s true.” Rui shifted uncomfortably on the piano bench. “There are a lot of sounds out in the world. I don’t think all of them are classical.”
His father pursed his lips. “You’re delusional.”
Normally, hearing someone speak to him in such a harsh manner would make Rui cower away with tears in his eyes. But this time, he felt his blood boil a bit.
“I’m not delusional! I...I just think that all the sounds in the world can make something that isn’t classical. I...I want to make that kind of music.”
His mother raised her hand. “Listen to me Rui: it’s only music if it’s classical.” She set a score on the piano’s music shelf. “So you’re going to keep playing it and become a wonderful musician, like we’ve always wanted you to be.”
“But I—”
“End of story.”
He felt something in mind snap at the sound of those words.
“What are you doing? Rui, get back here!”
He ignored his mother’s calls and pushed past his father. He ran through the hallways as fast as he could, tears streaming down his face. Without giving a second thought, he ran out the front door and into the street.
“It’s only music if it’s classical.”
He furiously wiped away the tears from his eyes, to no avail. You’re wrong, he thought. You’re wrong, you’re wrong...you have to be wrong!
A sudden chill caused Iku to glance down at his arm. The cat was curled up in the crook of his elbow, causing him to instantly become worried. It never goes there unless it’s extremely depressed, he frantically thought as he dropped his notebook.
To make matters worse, the cat appeared to be soaking wet. Its fur was completely drenched and dripping all over Iku’s arm. Its tan eyes were watery and glassy, as though it had become completely disconnected from reality.
If the bone-shaking crying the cat had done over ten years ago was terrible, then the gloom radiating off the cat now was horrendous. Iku felt his heart lurch and cry out for the cat as it laid down and rested its head on its soaked paws.
“You’re not just having a rough day, are you?” he murmured. As though it could hear him, the cat flattened its ears and mewled sadly. “I wish I could do more for you,” he admitted. “If I could, I would wrap you up and hold you and never let go.” He pressed a kiss to the cat’s forehead. “But all I can do is remind you that I will always be here for you.”
The cat didn’t raise its ears or lift its head to look at him, but it did twitch and close its eyes.
“Please don’t ever forget that,” he whispered.
On that day, Iku vowed to give his soulmate all the love and happiness they deserved.
It was raining.
Of course it’s still raining, Rui thought to himself bitterly . Of all times, the sky choses to rain now. The stray cat in his lap squirmed uncomfortably, but settled down once he began stroking its back, trying to share what little warmth he had with it.
“The rain will pass soon,” he murmured, although he was not sure if he was reassuring the cat or himself. “It’ll pass like always. And then…” he trailed off. And then what? What is there left for me when the rain passes?
The cat’s meow was like the mournful toll of a bell to his ears. He couldn’t help but let out a bitter laugh at the sound. It reminded him of his argument with his parents, how he told them that maybe, just maybe, all the different sounds of the world could make something that wasn’t classical music.
But they refused to listen.
“Walk your own path of music, Rui. For me too, okay?” His brother’s last words to him rang in his ears and echoed in his mind.
“I’m sorry, nii-san. You said that, yet here I am,” he sobbed to himself. Here I am in this alley with this cat after throwing everything away.
“Hey, are you okay?”
Rui jolted backward, away from the hand that had suddenly touched his shoulder. The stranger withdrew his hand in an instant. Even so, Rui looked up fearfully at the perpetrator. A brown-haired, blue-eyed young man clasping a large navy umbrella stared back at him.
“Are you alone?” the stranger asked.
Rui opened his mouth, but no sound came out. The cat in his arms squirmed restlessly, letting out mewls of distress.
“You shouldn’t be out here in this weather. Come on.” The stranger held out his hand. “My name’s Kai. Fuduki Kai.”
Rui stared at the hand, unsure of what to do. Part of him wanted to go with the man and get a roof over his head. Yet, part of him was distrusting of the stranger’s kindness.
Kai seemed to have sensed Rui’s uncertainty. “I won’t do anything bad, I promise,” he vowed. “I just don’t want you to be out here in the cold, especially if you don’t have a place to go.”
Slowly, Rui reached out and took the elder’s hand. Kai smiled and squeezed it tight.
“You need to calm down, ” Koi grumbled. “You’ve been staring at your cat for the past ten minutes. It’s not like you’re going to meet them any faster.”
Iku frowned. “I’m just worried,” he said. “It’s been...I don’t know. Kind of silent.”
“Well, maybe your soulmate’s mood has improved. Does the cat seem happier?”
Iku sighed and laid his head against the desk. “I can’t tell.” He turned his hand over so he could see the cat nestled in his palm. It stared back at him blankly, as though it couldn’t comprehend what he was saying due to lack of interest.
“Oh.”
“I really wish I could meet them,” he murmured. “I...I just want to let them know that everything is okay. That I’ll always be there and all. That they don’t have to be sad anymore.”
“Iku…” Koi hesitated, then patted his friend’s head gently. “It’ll be fine. I’m sure your soulmate will be fine.”
“...Thanks, Koi.”
“Anytime.” Koi paused. “So, uh, Kakeru and I were thinking about going downtown this weekend. Do you want to join us? You won’t be intruding, if you’re wondering. It’s not a date or anything. Kakeru just really wants to go to this new creperie, so…”
Iku lifted his head to answer just as something hit Koi on the back of the head. The pink-haired boy yelped and whirled around just in time to see a black and orange figure dash out of the room. “Arata, you JERKFACE!” Koi ran off after his rival. “Get back here!”
“There they go again,” Iku chuckled to himself when his friend was gone. “I wonder if they ever get tired of this act, though.” He looked down at his cat. It stared back at him, head tilted in curiosity. “Are you going to be as crazy as them?” he asked.
The cat meowed, as if it was saying “no”. Iku laughed and rubbed its head fondly.
“Good.”
Kai was like the ultimate doting older brother.
The moment Rui had stepped into his home, Kai had forced him to take a warm bath, dry his hair, and change into dry clothes. When Rui emerged from the bathroom a half hour later, Kai was standing by the table with a bowl of soup in hand. The black cat was on the ground, happily slurping from a bowl of warm milk.
Kai allowed Rui to stay for as long as he needed to, seeing as he had no place to go. Rui thankfully accepted.
Days turned into weeks. Even so, Rui hadn’t gotten a single call or text from his relatives. He wasn’t sure what to make of that fact. He wasn’t even sure if he was surprised or not.
Kai didn’t notice Rui’s soulmark until the third week of his stay. He stared at the younger boy’s neck for a minute, then asked, “Is that a teddy bear?”
Rui covered the mark defensively. Kai waved his hands.
“Ah, I don’t mean to be insulting! It’s just really cute. I can’t believe I didn’t notice it until now.”
“...I haven’t seen a soulmark on you either,” Rui mumbled.
“That’s because I don’t have one. Well, I mean I do, but…” He lifted his shirt. Rui’s eyes widened upon seeing the monochrome bamboo tree and tanzaku stamped on his chest. “She died not long after I met her.”
“...I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be.” Kai pulled his shirt down. “The days I spent with her are all I need. I got her to smile a lot, like I wanted.” He raised his eyebrows. “Your bear is running around now.”
“Again?” Rui frowned at the fuzzy brown toy scampering down his arm. “Oh, that active thing…”
Kai laughed. “Speaking of being active, can you do a grocery run? I’m about to head out on a job and we need more milk. And other things.”
Rui nodded. “Okay.”
Reina was staring at the various displays, her cerulean eyes sparkling as she glanced over the assortment of titles.
“I don’t know where to begin!” she breathed. “Should I check out the manga section, browse through the latest CDs and games, or look at merchandise?”
“It’s all up to you,” Iku said. “This is your trip.”
“Decisions, decisions! Why are they so hard to make? Oh, wait, I remember hearing one of my classmates say something about that new drama…” She dashed off into the store, obviously completely immersed in her thoughts.
“Nice to see you're so excited,” he laughed to himself as he followed her. Running around an Animate store wasn’t exactly what he had in mind when Reina called and invited him out at seven in the morning, but he didn’t see her often, so watching her run around so freely made him content.
“This little guy reminds me of you.” Reina held up a brown plush bunny next to Iku’s face and squinted. “Hmm, but you’d suit a teddy bear more, wouldn’t you?”
“What are you doing?” he asked.
Reina put the bunny back on the shelf. “Browsing, that’s all. It’s not every day that I get to hang out with you, so I’m going all out!” She turned into the next aisle, Iku fast on her heels.
“Action figures, I see,” he remarked. “Is it bad that I recognize a lot of these from Koi’s collection?”
“Nope!” Reina chirped. “Knowledge that you’ve obtained from a friend is to be cherished! Especially when it comes to anime.”
“I see,” Iku laughed. “Hmm, maybe I’ll get a souvenir for Koi after all…”
“Have fun with that!” Reina disappeared into the next aisle. Iku turned towards the shelves and began browsing the action figures, trying to find one that Koi didn’t have.
“...Iku?”
He lifted his head at the sound of his name. A black haired boy stared back at him, head tilted in curiosity.
“Arata-san!” Iku smiled sheepishly at his upperclassman. “This is a pleasant surprise! What brings you out here?”
“I was looking at the comics, but then came down here,” Arata replied. “You?”
“I’m with a friend.”
Arata nodded and turned to see what Iku had been looking at. “Aren’t those from that show Pink-head likes?”
Iku couldn’t help but laugh wryly. Koi and Arata’s rivalry never failed to put him in brighter spirits. “I think so.”
“Of course. Well, I can’t exactly blame him.” Arata scratched his neck, allowing Iku to get a good look at the azure swallow singing on his wrist. The sight compelled Iku to gaze at his own soul mark. The cat seemed to be exhausted, for it was lying spread eagle across his forearm with its eyes closed. Are you straining yourself? Or are you just tired? Iku wondered. Either way, please take care of yourself!
“Ikkun!” Reina poked her head around the corner. “Did you pick out something? Because I have everything I want now!”
Arata raised his eyebrow at Iku. “Girlfriend?”
“No,” Iku hastily replied. “Just a friend. Besides,” he held up arm to display his cat to Arata, “I’m still waiting on this one here.”
Rui heaved a heavy sigh and plopped down on the bench. I’m not weak, he told himself. I’m just tired. Anybody would get tired after carrying this many groceries for so long, right? He looked down at the bags in his hands. Yeah. This is just a lot to carry. That’s all. I can carry groceries. I can do a task as simple as that..!
“...Are you okay?”
Rui jumped and nearly knocked over one of the bags. He lifted his head to meet the worried gaze of the blonde boy in front of him.
“Who are you?”
“Me?” The boy smiled warmly. “I’m Shiwasu Kakeru.”
“...I didn’t ask for an introduction.”
Kakeru laughed Rui’s remark off. “Is it alright if I help you carry those bags?”
“I’m fine.”
“You sure? You seem to be carrying a lot.”
“No, I got it.”
“Seriously. I’m not going anywhere in particular, so I don’t mind lending a hand. You look kind of ill too, so...”
“I’m not ill,” Rui grumbled. “I’m just tired.”
“Sorry…”
“But if you insist on helping…I guess I don’t mind.”
“Awesome!” Kakeru grinned and held out his hand. “I can take that one…”
Rui let the bag handles slip from his fingers and onto Kakeru’s. As he did, he couldn’t help but notice that there was a pink heart beating on the blonde’s palm. The sight of the other’s soulmark caused Rui to glance down at the teddy bear on the back of his hand.
“Oh, sorry, I've already found my—”
“It’s not that. No worries.” Rui traced his tattoo. The bear appeared to be tired, as though it was going to collapse at any moment from exhaustion. What are you doing working so hard? Rui frowned. You shouldn’t push yourself too much, you know.
Then again, it wasn’t like he was one to talk.
Koi collapsed onto the grass and covered his eyes to shield them from the sun. “We are absolutely going to beat that guy next time!” he huffed.
Iku dropped down next to his friend. “I’ll look forward to it,” he huffed. “But wow. That was an intense soccer game. Between that and running around with Reina-chan this morning...I’m exhausted.”
“That took so much energy out of me,” Koi concurred. “Ugh, I could really use some downtime.”
“Well, it’s nice out,” Iku pointed out. “Let’s just...rest here for a bit.”
“I’m all for that.” Koi inhaled and exhaled slowly. “You know, that tall guy was really, really good. I’m surprised he stayed and entertained us for that long.”
“Yeah,” Iku laughed in agreement. “Then again, he did say he used to be captain of his school team, didn’t he?
“He must have been one heck of a captain then.”
They spent the next few minutes basking in the sun, which gently warmed their fatigued bodies.
“Oh, how’s that puppy you and Kakeru found?”
Koi snorted. “Croquette? He’s good. Cute. Fluffy. Really energetic. Between him and Kakeru, I’m almost always in a death-like state.”
“Sounds just like how a puppy should be to me.”
“Oh hush, experienced dog owner!” Koi gently smacked Iku’s arm.
“Sorry, sorry,” Iku chuckled. “I’m glad Croquette is doing great, though.”
Koi smiled. “Yeah.” He lowered his voice, “Don’t tell Kakeru, but I’m glad we found him in that box.”
“I bet you are.”
A cheerful bell sound resonated from Koi’s pocket. The pink-haired boy frowned and held up his phone to see who was calling. “Kakeru?” He pressed his phone to his ear. “Hey! What’s going on with you?” Iku watched as Koi’s eyes widened. “What? Wait, Kakeru, slow down. You went home after helping someone carry groceries and your apartment...huh? Your dad? He turned your apartment into a what ?!”
That does not sound good. Iku looked back up at the sky and lifted his hand over his face. He watched the green cat lie down on his wrist and curl up loosely. Its tan eyes studied him carefully, as if daring him to say something.
“Where are you right now? Really? Iku and I are really close then! Hold on, we’ll meet up with you in a bit. Yeah. No worries! See you soon.” Koi sprung to his feet. “Come on, Iku! We have to go rescue my soulmate from his dad’s insane antics!”
“Coming.” Iku tore his eyes away from the cat and pushed himself to his feet.
There was a white-haired teen sitting in the kitchen when Rui walked in. He raised his eyebrows at the somewhat unwelcome guest, but said nothing.
“Do I not get a morning greeting?”
Rui opened the fridge. “Morning, Shun,” he mumbled.
A profound smile wormed its way onto Shun’s face. “Good morning to you too, Rui.”
“Does Kai know you’re here?”
“He does. He went out on a job not long after I arrived, actually,” Shun answered. “He told me to remind you to feed the cat.”
As if on cue, Yamato leapt onto the kitchen table and approached the white-haired demon lord, obviously demanding attention. Shun set his cup down and began stroking the cat’s back. The violet butterfly stamped to the back of his hand fluttered its wings as he did.
“Good morning, Yamato,” he cooed. “I trust you are well today?”
Yamato meowed happily in response.
“Don’t get fur in his tea,” Rui warned his pet as he set the cat’s refilled food bowl down on the ground.
“Yamato wouldn’t do anything of the sort! Isn’t that right?” Shun scratched Yamato’s neck, eliciting a satisfied purr from the cat.
“...Don’t you have class soon?”
“Hmmm, I suppose.” Shun released Yamato, allowing the feline to leap off the table and pad over to his food bowl. “I wanted to enjoy some time with you, though.”
“Oh.” Rui frowned and sat down at the table.
“...Are you not happy to see me, Rui?”
Rui shook his head. “No. You’re just never awake this early.”
“I should have known,” Shun chuckled. “Well, I’m sorry I’m not as much of an early riser as your soulmate.”
Rui froze. The teddy bear running up his arm did as well. “How did you..?”
Shun wiggled his eyebrows and raised his cup to his lips without saying a word. Rui huffed in exasperation, but allowed the question to slide.
The rest of breakfast was spent in silence.
The metro was not as busy as Iku anticipated it to be, especially for a weekend. He quickly shook the thought out of his head, though, and glanced back down at the text Koi had just sent him.
“Alright! We just finished taking this little guy out on a walk, so we’re heading out now” The text was quickly followed up with a picture of Koi and Kakeru with Croquette.
“Adorable,” Iku typed back. “See you soon!”
“See ya!” Koi replied.
As he pocketed his phone, Iku couldn’t help but notice that the cat was pacing back and forth across his forearm. It didn’t appear to be depressively dragging itself around, though. Rather, it seemed to be padding on its tip toes, daintily going in one direction then quickly spinning to go the other way.
Are you restless? No, you aren’t. You run all over the place when you are. You’re probably just taking a relaxing stroll, then. How rare of you to be active. Iku traced the cat’s path with his finger. But you seem content, so I suppose that’s all that matters. His finger froze. You’re content, eh?
He couldn’t help but smile to himself at that thought.
The streets were filled with people and sounds once again. However, this time, Rui found that he did not mind. Every sound seemed like music notes instead of white noise to his ears. Every person he passed by was like a song that flowed freely to a meter of its own.
He was surprised. He never thought he would look at the world from such an unusual perspective. Perhaps running into Yuno has something to do with it? He mused. He had, after all, just finished having tea with her after coincidentally bumping into her while out on a walk.
“Rui? Is that you?” Yuno threw her arms around him when he nodded. “I’ve been so worried! I went over to visit one day and your mother told me you disappeared!” She grabbed his hands. “Come on, you have to have a cup of tea with me and tell me what happened to you!”
He had no choice but to oblige.
His phone buzzed in his pocket, breaking his train of thought.
“Job is running late, sorry! Can you buy some milk? Thanks!”
Rui hummed to himself as he read over Kai’s text. “Milk again, eh?” He sighed and shook his head. “Honestly...how much milk can you drink in one week?” Even so, he made a mental note to pass by the store.
A drop of water caused him to crinkle his nose and look up at the gray sky. In a matter of seconds, rain began to pour down from the clouds. Rui yelped and ducked under a nearby overhanging.
Rain. He held out his hand and caught a few droplets. Just like the day Kai found Yamato and me and took us in. Thinking about that dark day made his heart lurch a bit. Do I hate the rain, I wonder..?
Iku yelped when it started to rain and covered his head with his arms. Of all days I forget to bring an umbrella! He quickly dashed through the streets and ran towards the nearest overhanging, sighing in relief once he was out of the shower. His phone buzzed, causing him to pull it out of his pocket once he had dried his hands on his shirt.
“Koi and I are going to be late! We got caught in the rain!”
Iku couldn’t help but let out a soft laugh at Kakeru’s spell of bad luck. Then again, I’m in the same situation as them…
He didn’t notice that he wasn’t alone under the overhanging until he heard someone speak.
“Who...are you?”
Iku turned. A green-haired boy stared back at him, his head tilted in curiosity.
“Ah!” Iku jumped. “Sorry! I didn’t know you were there…”
“...It’s fine.” The boy turned away.
“I’m Kannaduki Iku,” Iku said. “Sorry again. I just ran to the nearest overhanging when it started pouring…”
“It’s fine. I’m the same.”
“What’s your name?”
“...Minaduki Rui.”
“Minaduki Rui…” The name rolled off Iku’s tongue flawlessly. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“Same.”
The two stood in awkward silence for a time.
“Did you forget your umbrella too?” Iku finally said in an attempt to make conversation.
Rui nodded slowly. “Yeah…”
“Makes sense.” Iku looked back at the street. “I didn’t expect it to rain this suddenly, so...yeah.”
“...You’re dripping all over the pavement,” Rui remarked.
“Am I?” Iku frowned and tugged at several strands of his hair. “I guess I am, aren’t I..?”
“It’s to be expected.” Rui wiped his hands on his pants.
“Do you think the rain will last long?” Iku asked. “I hope not. I was going to meet up with my friends.”
“...Sounds nice.”
“What about you?”
Rui fiddled with the sleeves of his sweatshirt. “...I was on my way home. Then my housemate asked me to buy some milk.”
“Ah.”
“He eats like a cow,” he huffed. “This is the fourth carton he’s finished in the past two weeks.”
“That’s pretty incredible right there,” Iku laughed anxiously. “And I thought my friend’s soulmate ate a lot…” For some reason, his eyes wandered down to his wrist, where the cat was sitting peacefully, its eyes glimmering. It appeared to be...pensive? Thoughtful? He couldn’t think of the right word for the cat’s mood, to be honest.
Well...at least it’s not sad anymore, he reassured himself.
The brown-haired boy standing beside Rui was staring at his wrist, as though he was checking his watch or looking at a bracelet. The issue was, he wasn’t wearing anything of the sort.
“...What are you looking at?” Rui asked.
Iku lifted his head. “Ah, just my soulmate tattoo.” He held up his arm to show Rui his mark. “See?”
Rui scanned Iku’s arm until he spotted the tattoo on the boy’s wrist. A green Siamese cat stared back at him. Upon locking eyes with the creature, Rui felt something in his mind click.
That’s mine, he thought. That mark...that’s mine!
Iku jumped when Rui suddenly grabbed his arm, his eyes never once tearing away from the now alert cat. “Uh...are you okay? What’s going on?”
“That cat.” Rui looked up into the other boy’s eyes. “That’s...that’s mine.”
“The cat..?” Iku blinked in confusion. “It’s...what?!” He grabbed Rui’s wrist and rolled up his sleeve to reveal a very surprised-looking teddy bear. His heart fluttered at the sight. “Oh my god…” He laughed. “That’s mine.” He locked eyes with Rui. “You’re my soulmate.”
Rui nodded. “And you’re...mine.”
“Then in that case…”
Rui yelped when Iku suddenly threw his arms around him and pulled him into a hug. “W-w-what’s this so suddenly?” he stammered.
Iku tightened his grip. “My whole life, I’ve been watching your cat, crying whenever it cried, laughing whenever it smiled...everything,” he murmured. “You’ve lived through a lot of tough times, haven’t you? You carry a lot of sorrow in your heart. I can feel it.”
“I…I…” Rui found himself at a loss for words.
“I’m going to make you a promise.” Iku finally released Rui. His brown eyes were sparkling. “I’ll make sure you never feel like that ever again. I won’t let you be sad anymore. Okay?”
Rui swallowed nervously. “Making such an important vow on our first meeting,” he mumbled, “just...who do you think you are?”
Iku shrugged. “Your soulmate?”
“You’re an idiot.”
“Your idiotic soulmate?”
Rui puffed his cheeks in annoyance. “Just an idiot.”
“Okay, I’ll accept that,” Iku laughed. “But I’m serious. I don’t want to see your cat cry again. It pains me to know that you’re sad.”
“...Is that so.”
“Is that okay?” Iku held out his hand.
Rui exhaled slowly. Finally, he lifted his hand and rested it on Iku’s palm. He could feel the teddy bear growling excitedly as it made contact with the purring cat. The vibrations set his nerves afire and made his whole body tremble with an emotion he hadn’t truly felt in a long time: happiness.
“Yeah.”
Iku’s fingers curled around Rui’s and gave them a firm, yet reassuring squeeze. “Then it’s a promise?”
Rui felt a small smile tug at his lips. “It’s a promise.”