Chapter Text
“ Starting when you turn 18, if you write or draw something on your skin, the same thing will appear on your soulmate’s skin. ”
Tsukina tried to hold herself back from squealing when she felt an unfamiliar itch on her skin. She knew what it was before she saw it with her eyes.
Her soulmate had written back to her.
“… I like your new song.”
Tsukina ran to the bathroom, grabbing a pen on her way out.
She slammed the bathroom door closed; her heart was racing so fast.
He knew. He knew about me. How? Does he also have an interest in idols? Is he a fan? Did he stumble upon our song by accident?
The hand that was holding the pen was shaking. A thousand questions fill her mind. What should she say to him? It’s been a while since the first time she wrote the lyrics on her skin; why does he only reply now? Because their new song was released today?
Her internal panic was disturbed by a knock on the bathroom door. Then she started to hear her manager’s voice.
“Tsukina-san? Are you okay? You suddenly run to the bathroom; is everything okay?”
Tsukina quickly scribbled the first question on her mind before pulling down the sleeve of her clothes to hide the writing on her skin.
“Ah… Sayu-san… Sorry to surprise you like that; my stomach suddenly hurts. But it’s okay now. Let’s go back.” She smiled.
“… Oh, another message.” Nagisa suddenly stopped dancing.
He was practicing their newest dance along with Ibara after school. Ibara was having a hard time with a particularly hard move, and Nagisa was helping him practice.
“From your soulmate?” Ibara asked excitedly and quickly turned off the music. They could continue their practice later. For now, Nagisa’s soulmate was more exciting.
“… Mn.” Nagisa nodded.
“What does it say?”
“… What’s your name?” Nagisa answered.
“That’s it?”
“… Yes.”
“Will you answer?”
“… I think so.”
Then Nagisa started scribbling on his arms.
My name is Nagisa Ran.
“That’s it?” Ibara asked in disbelief.
“… Mn. What else should I say?”
“Aren’t you curious about her? Don’t you want to ask more about her?”
“… I don’t want to be a nuisance to her.”
Ibara laughed. “Fine. Tell me if she replies. Let’s get back to practice then!”
Nagisa nodded after giving the writing on his arm one last glance. He smiled softly as he remembered the girl on the screen that he had seen back then.
For the rest of the week, Nagisa and Tsukina kept sending messages through their skins, mostly at night, so they both didn’t need to worry much about others finding out. And after a while, they started exchanging contact information so they could talk easier using their phones.
From there, Tsukina and Nagisa started to get to know each other more. From simple things like names and the fact that both of them are idols to something deeper like what each other likes and dislikes. They haven’t had the chance to meet in person yet because they are both busy with their own schedules.
It took them two months to finally find a time to set up a date, or more like just a casual hangout, because calling it a date when they had never met in person seemed a little too much.
That night, Tsukina couldn’t sleep. She was too nervous and excited to meet her soulmate.
Even though they had been talking for so long, Tsukina still didn’t know what kind of person Nagisa Ran was. Would they be able to get along well? What if Nagisa is disappointed in her when they finally meet? They said your soulmate is the person you’re most suitable with, but what if they ended up fighting a lot after they met in person?
Will they be able to fall in love with each other just because they are soulmates?
So many questions were running around in her mind. Before she realized it, the sun had risen, and it was time for her to get ready.
Tsukina tried her best to prepare herself. She put on a little bit of make-up to cover her dark eye bags from lack of sleep and made sure to properly brush her long hair. She had chosen her outfit to wear today a few days ago after contemplating how she should look at her first meeting. In the end, she chose a cute one-piece dress paired with a comfortable sandal.
There were still almost two hours before they agreed on a on a meeting time, but Tsukina felt like she couldn’t handle the nerves if she just stayed at home. So, she chose to get going early and wait for Nagisa at their designated meeting spot.
But to her surprise, just when she got to their meeting spot, she saw Nagisa had been waiting for her there. Even though there was still a little bit over an hour until their agreed time, Nagisa had been waiting for her there, wearing a green shirt with his hair tied up in half.
She was about to call for him when their eyes met.
Right at that moment, it felt like the world stopped moving for a second for Tsukina. There were only the two of them as he smiled and walked towards her.
“… Hello, Tsukina Keiri-san?”
His voice snapped Tsukina out of her daze. She quickly bowed and said, “Yes, that’s me. Nice to meet you, Nagisa Ran-san.”
Tsukina could hear his chuckle before she stood up straight and looked at his smiling face.
“… You can call me Nagisa. There is no need to be so formal.”
“I understand. Then please call me Tsukina, Nagisa-san.” She couldn’t help but smile and blush at the same time.
It wasn't that she never knew his face. She knew that he was handsome from the selfie they exchanged. But still, meeting him in person made her realize just how handsome he is in real life. And Tsukina couldn’t help herself from admiring him in her mind.
“… Tsukina. Let’s go?”
Tsukina blushed. Hearing him say her name so gently made her flustered. She could only nod as she followed him towards their first destination.
Previously, they had agreed on what to do for their first meeting. First, they would visit a newly opened café that served omurice and Mont Blanc, before taking a stroll in the evening around the city and enjoying the night market in that area.
There were no words being exchanged on the short walk towards the cafe. Tsukina was too nervous to start a conversation with Nagisa. She just kept glancing at Nagisa, and every time she did that, Nagisa would smile gently at her, making her heart beat so fast it felt like it would leap out of her chest.
They both entered the small but cozy café and looked around for empty seats. Tsukina was so distracted by how cute the café was that she didn’t realize she almost collided with a waitress bringing a tray filled with empty dishes.
“… Watch out.” Nagisa pulled her closer to his body, hugging her so close that she could hear his steady heartbeat and smell his perfume.
She knew it was her fault for not paying attention, and Nagisa only did this to give space for the waitress to walk. But she couldn’t help but freak out inside.
“… Are you okay, Tsukina?”
“AH! Um, yes, I am okay.” She stepped away from him reluctantly. “Sorry for not paying attention... Thank you for helping me!”
Nagisa nodded and patted her head softly. Then he held her hand and brought them to an empty seat before releasing her hand.
Then a waitress came to take their order. They both ordered the infamous omurice, and Tsukina also ordered Mont Blanc for dessert. As they waited for their order, Tsukina finally managed to calm down and started a conversation with Nagisa.
From their small talk, Tsukina finally got the whole story of why it took him some time to write back to her. It was all for her sake, because he understands that, as an idol, having a soulmate is a complicated matter, and he didn’t want to make her feel overwhelmed. And then he also told her about his own activities and future plans for his idol career. He said that he was fully committed to doing his work, but also that he still wanted to follow through with getting to know each other.
“… The first time I heard your voice and saw your performance on the billboard, I became your fan instantly. I think you shined so bright when you were singing and dancing on the stage, and I want to do everything I can to support you, Tsukina.”
Tsukina couldn’t help but fall for Nagisa even more at this point. Knowing how much Nagisa treasured her even before they met in person, before they got the chance to talk properly.
“Me too… Nagisa-san. Since you told me that you’re also an idol, I have been searching and watching your performances on the internet. And you… You’re such an amazing idol. I want to be an idol that’s just like you. Both your singing and dancing are always amazing, and I know that you worked hard to achieve them! So me too, I want to support you more, Nagisa-san! I am your big fan now!”
Nagisa smiled and reached out to tuck stray hair on Tsukina’s face.
“… Thank you. Knowing you watching me makes me want to do even better.”
Tsukina was speechless. She was flustered because of the thing that Nagisa just did for her. Even that simple act brought butterflies to her stomach. It was so gentle… So romantic.
But their conversation was cut short because, right after that, the waitress arrived with their order.
“Enjoy your meal.” The waitress said it cheerfully before bowing and going away.
“… Shall we eat then?”
“Ah… Yes! Let’s eat. Everything looks so good… Don’t you agree, Nagisa-san?”
Nagisa nodded, and they both started eating. They didn’t talk much aside from commenting about their food. But it was such a comfortable situation that Tsukina didn’t realize that it had been two hours since they first arrived at the café. It’s a wonder how good food and a good companion could make time pass by so fast.
“... Are you still up for a light stroll in the city?” Nagisa asked after they got out of the café.
“Yes. I would very much love to.” Tsukina smiled.
So, they both started walking leisurely towards the city to see if there was anything interesting that they could do or see. But since the street just got even more crowded now compared to this afternoon, Nagisa then said,
“… Do you want to hold hands? It’s crowded, and I don’t want to be separated.”
He was smiling so gently that Tsukina couldn’t say no.
“Okay…”
Nagisa’s hand felt big against his own. And it was warm—much warmer than her own. And weirdly, when Nagisa was holding her hand, it felt safe and comfortable. It was the kind of feeling that she had never felt from anyone else before.
After a few minutes, they decided to just sit on one of the benches while eating ice cream and watch the people pass by in front of them. Tsukina felt quite sad that they were no longer holding hands. She missed the feeling of Nagisa’s hand on her own already. But she was still happy to be able to spend time together with him for just a little longer.
“… Tsukina.” Nagisa suddenly called for her name.
He had been calling for her name so many times throughout the day, but still, she couldn’t help but feel tingly whenever he did that.
“Yes, Nagisa-san?”
“... About this soulmate thing. There is no doubt that you are my soulmate, and I am yours.” He started. Tsukina’s heart was racing; she wondered, What would he say next? Will he say that he doesn’t like being her soulmate?
“… And I am glad that you’re my soulmate. I truly do. But the thing is, I had never experienced love before. For as long as I could remember, being an idol was my whole life purpose. So, I don’t know anything else aside from that.”
Tsukina still wasn’t saying anything; she let Nagisa finish what he was going to say.
“… But if I could have the chance, if you would let me... I want to learn more about you and about love. Will you be willing to let me try? Would you please have me as your companion and a friend while I figure out this thing between us?”
Tsukina felt like she was going to cry. She didn’t expect that Nagisa would be this considerate and honest about his feelings. This whole thing was also a new experience for her, and there were so many things that made her anxious. But if Nagisa was going to walk with her, then she felt like everything would be fine.
“I am also... new to this thing. This is also the first time I was thinking about my love and soulmate, Nagisa-san. So, just like you, I want to know more about you. In the future, please take care of me.” She smiled warmly.
And if previously she hadn’t been falling for him, then right now there was no more doubt about it. Tsukina had started to fall in love with this guy named Nagisa Ran.