Tsukasa never really liked school. He only liked the attention he received. He only liked the way people showered him with compliments and praise, the way people crowded around him and practically competed to get his attention. How wonderful it was to be popular!
Yet, after Wonderlands x Showtime was created, he felt that something was off.
At school, the morning after the troupe was made, he realized that he didn't enjoy being with his large number of friends anymore.
He wasn't overflowing with happiness or pride. He wasn't smiling all the time.
"Yo, Tenma!" One of Tsukasa's friends, Akane, called.
Akane was followed by three other people, Ai, Tadashi and Hikari. He called them his "crew".
"Tsukasa!" Toya ran over to the one he was calling out to along with his friend Shinonome.
"Hey, Tsukasa-kun!!" Ai said, hopping up and down, making their hair make adorable bounces as Ai's feet hit the ground and pushed back away from it.
"Hey!" Tsukasa said with a forced smile and enthusiastic tone, a feeling of overwhelming unease and uncomfortableness taking over.
"Yo. What's up?" Tadashi mumbled, his focus mostly on whatever was on his phone screen.
Then, a unique shade of purple caught his eye just as the people started to concentrate around him.
Tsukasa's stomach filled itself with butterflies before they all dropped dead as his guts gave a horrible wrench instead as he saw the light pink next to the purple.
It was Rui, who was leaning onto a wall. Was that Akiyama he was talking to?
Rui seemed happy. He was smiling. With Akiyama, not Tsukasa.
He felt his chest tighten.
"Tsukasa, are you alright?" Toya asked, snapping Tsukasa out of his thoughts.
"Yeah," Tsukasa nodded. "I'm just feeling a little off today. Dunno."
"Ah." Toya said.
"You've been staring at Kamishiro for a while." Tadashi said without taking his eyes off his phone.
"...I have?"
"Do ya like him?" Shinonome deadpanned.
"Akito!" Toya hissed.
The question hit Tsukasa like a truck.
His eyes widened, his heart dropped and he remained unblinking for a few moments, looking straight at the ground as he thought to himself.
No, I can't like Rui... Not him, of all people...!
But then he recalled how happy he felt around the alchemist, and the way his stomach filled with butterflies even just at the sound of his voice or the mention of even his name...
"...Shit." Tsukasa muttered.
"Dude..." Shinonome sighed. "How'd that even happen...?"
"Akito, stop that." Toya sighed.
"I don't like Rui," Tsukasa insisted. "I guess I just... Wanna be with him..."
Shinonome gave Tsukasa a look that said 'yeah, right...' after hearing the blonde's words.
Akane looked positively disgusted, while Ai had sparkles in their eyes and Tadashi was still staring at his phone indifferently.
YOU ARE READING
Rumours ~ Ruikasa
FanfictionBefore Wonderlands x Showtime happened to him, Rui had always felt so alone (apart from when he was with either both or one of his childhood friends, of course). He was prejudiced, ignored, avoided, et cetera. He stayed quiet during class and had ne...
