XVII

Shu is in quite the conundrum. As he looks on, with his two juniors conversing over something in the cafe—tables away—the tickets in his pocket grow heavier. Truly… His work colleague’s gift for a recent job well done has turned curse.

It’s undesirable to trash them when his colleague made them out to be rather hard-to-obtain. Not to mention that he has a budding interest in the festival’s theme as well—it’s an easy way to connect with Kagehira in his love for his “creepy” art, and it’s a way to indulge himself and Natsume in the more magical elements. 

The event is tomorrow. It’s unlikely that someone will be selling or giving away an extra in such a short amount of time. Even if they were, the moment he’d try to buy one he’d probably be beaten by someone readier than he is.

He would die a painful death if it meant making the other feel left out. He knows his other fellow Eccentrics would not be offended or hurt in his preference in taking Kagehira or Natsume—they would all understand the event would be more catered to them. But with his beloved partner and his beloved boy… the way they look up at him… It would seem as if he were picking favorites!

The image has taken shape in his mind: three golden eyes, one blue. They’re staring up at him, pleading, pouty.

“Oshi-san?” “Nii-san?”
Well? Who do you like more?

Shu swipes at the vivid thought. Non! As if he could create that impression!!

“Oshi-san?” the voice cuts through the background chatter around him.

Shu slowly lifts his head from his hand, dropping the one he just used to wave with. The image he has just swiped away reforms in startling accuracy.

His heart—his cursed and blessed heart for finding and accepting love from those two—is far too weak. Shu may receive the ire of that colleague for wasting his efforts, but those two are more important to him. Leaving his nearly-full cup of coffee on the table, he exits the cafe with a goal in mind: he must burn the evidence that suggests a mere second of thought went into choosing between the two of them for a date.

His pace is brisk, yet he has no sure destination in mind.

A flamethrower? No. The regulations for such an item would no doubt take too long for his current plight. He needs speed. He needs reliability. He needs… convenience.

Right before he’s about to cross the street, he sees out of the corner of his eye a location that fulfills all of those requirements. Perfect. Surely, the convenience store has the flame-bearing tool he has in mind—albeit in a less powerful form.

He grabs the first flimsy lighter he sees and purchases it; the cost be damned, for his relationship between Mika and Natsume is priceless.

After money and pleasantries are exchanged, he quickly heads to a park, walking into a secluded-looking area with an off-beat path. When his feet come to a stop, he sighs, pulling out the lighter and flicking it to produce a lovely glow. It wavers in the air, bouncing with life as his other hand buries into the pocket that grows less heavy.

“No! Oshi-san, you’ll die of lung cancer!!”

Dark hair tackles him into losing his footing and his grip on the lighter. Arms wrap around his torso, dirt meets face, his back bears weight, and pain registers. He hears plastic bounce against the dirt and a second set of footsteps trodding closer.

“Nii-san…? Were you really about to smoke just Now?”

Shu attempts to speak, but with the pressure that Kagehira is applying, laying on top of his back, it’s futile.

Thankfully his muffled sounds are understood well enough by his partner, who uses his arms to prop himself a bit off of him. “Oops. Sorry, Oshi-san. Put a lil’ too much into that. Are you okay?”

Shu uses the small amount of room that Mika has created to lift his head from the ground. “Yes, and I would feel even better if you completely get off me.”

“Ngaah… but if I do that, yer just gonna run off again, aren't cha?”

“I will not.”

“Shu-niisan is Right.” Somewhere close behind to the side of Shu, Natsume’s voice gets closer and then farther away. “Not while we’re in possession of This.”

Above him, Shu feels Mika turn his head and beam. “Oh, nice one, Nakkun!”

The weight lessens from Shu’s back and he’s finally allowed to fully breathe. Rolling over, he props himself up by the elbows to look up at Natsume, who holds the lighter between his pointer finger and thumb. Though the boy attempts to maintain a neutral stare, bits of disappointment and worry color his eyes.

“Natsume, I can explain.”

“Was the hit of coffee no longer doing it for You?” The boy closes his eyes, sighing. “What were you Thinking, Nii-san? This momentary pleasure may lead to an Addiction, and in order to grow old together and fully live out our lives as Idols, we can’t have That.”

“I truly had no intention of smoking.”

“But we saw that you were about’a pull the ciggies from yer pocket!”

After dusting off the dirt from his pants as he gets up, Shu looks pensive when he reaches his hand toward the tickets.

Natsume passes Mika the lighter as he holds out a palm towards him. “Hand it Over, Nii-san.”

“…I can’t.”

“And why can’t You?”

Shu fidgets under his expectant stare. He could run again and purchase another lighter, but that would only further worry Natsume and Kagehira. The people passing by would also no doubt be concerned with the scene unfolding, and should the two catch up to him while he’s on asphalt, he'd rather not risk anyone getting more seriously injured if Kagehira tackles him again.

“Because the item in question isn't a pack of cigarettes.” He closes his eyes, exhaling as well. “It’s this.”

The tickets find their new home in Natsume’s hand.

“Hm?” Mika nudges closer to Natsume’s shoulder to read alongside him. “OcculticNite?”

“Yes. I was intending to light those up instead.” Shu crosses his arms.

“Nii-san, correct me if I’m Wrong…” Shock flashes across Natsume’s face. “But aren’t these tickets hard to get a hold Of?”

“Indeed, I’m fully aware, and the colleague who gave me these tickets seemed to be aware too. That’s precisely why I was restless over what to do, but I came to the conclusion I should burn them.”

“Ehh? What exactly were ya restless fer?”

Shu looks between his two loved ones and heaves another sigh. “I was thinking of inviting one of you, but I was afraid of making the other feel left out. My colleague may bear resentment towards me for letting the opportunity go to waste, but it’s better than letting the thing that could wreck our relationship exist.”

Now it was Mika and Natsume’s turn to look at one another.

“Nii-san…” Natsume gives him a gentle smile. “You could have just brought up your concern to the both of Us.”

“Yeah, it’s not like you bein’ in possession of the tickets automatically made ya in the wrong!”

Shu blinks. 

Oh. That’s- He supposes… if he had just swallowed enough of his anxiety… Natsume is right, and Kagehira has a point as well. Perhaps it was too cautious of him to worry about their reactions. Even if his concerns come from a good place, he hasn’t respected their maturity, behaving the way that he did. He feels a little silly now.

“But to hear that Oshi-san was puttin’ so much thought towards us…” Mika looks over to him tearfully.

Shu blushes, clearing his throat. “I concede, and I will be less hesitant in bringing up my concerns in the future. However, the issue still persists. There’s not enough for all three of us to go. What do you think we should do?”

While the tickets are now safe from the burn of a flame, they almost seem to shiver from their intense stares.

“Ah. I’ve got It.” Natsume gets a mischievous glint in his eyes when turns to face Kagehira. “Mika-kun?”

He tilts his head in response. “Hm?”

“Would you give me the Honor,” Natsume holds out a palm, “of accompanying you to the Festival?”

Another small breeze rustles past them.

“Huh?” Valkyrie gapes.

“Take a moment to think about It.” Natsume closes his palm in favor of holding up a pointer finger. He looks from Mika to Shu. “If Mika and I are the ones who Go, you wouldn’t have to choose between us or insult your Colleague.” 

“Oh! And then Nakkun and Oshi-san and I can all have our own date to talk about the festival.”

“Precisely. Of Course, that would mean you wouldn’t be allowed to accompany Us, Nii-san. After all the thought you put into not upsetting Us, we want to know if you’re okay with It. Right, Mika?”

“That’s right. If us going t’gether would make ya lonely, then let’s burn the tickets after all!” The lighter peeks out from Mika’s grip, burning intensely alongside the fire in his eyes.

Shu stares. “I’m not opposed, but I never expected you wanting to spirit away my Kagehira, boy.”

“D-Don’t get the wrong idea, Oshi-san.” Kagehira takes a step towards him, placing a hand on his chest. “You’d still be my most cherished!” Shu doesn’t miss the way Natsume’s brow quirks up almost imperceptibly behind him.

“I did not doubt-”

“So you wish to go Then?”

Attention back on Natsume, Kagehira blinks. “Ah, uh, well if you’ll have me.” He scratches his neck with a small smile. “Then I’d love ta.”

“Good to Hear. I’ll hang onto these for us and will be waiting in the common room tomorrow Evening.” Natsume fetches his phone from his pocket and types a reply, before locking it and putting it back. “I should get Going.” He smiles at Shu. “See You, Nii-san.” And he winks at his partner. “See you Tomorrow, Mika-kun.”

Shu watches the nonchalant gait of Natsume’s steps as he shrinks further toward the horizon, and then he turns his head. “Well. It seems you have an outing to prepare for, Kagehira.”

“Nyehe, guess I do.”

 

 

———

 

 

“Today’s lucky item is…!”

As Natsume finishes pulling his shirt down from over his head, the morning radio broadcast on his phone finishes giving advice for the penultimate zodiac sign, Aquarius.

It’s a shame that Capricorn’s propane is a little too suspicious to carry around—at least not in a big tank—but his sign’s item, copper? He thinks he has some copper salts in a small vial from a recent experiment. It should be lying around in his makeshift lab if memory serves him correct.

Though it isn’t until later on in the day, when his work has been finished, that he can double check if it’s really as he left it. After reviewing the festival’s rules on prohibited items again, he pockets them on the way out of his lab, and before he takes a seat in the common room to wait for Mika, he drops by Sora’s own dorm to have a quick chat with him and Wataru-niisan.

Natsume exhales as he settles into the slight mold of one of the couches, giving a nod in greeting to the idol seated across from him. Though they haven’t really spoken to one another, the idol acknowledges the polite gesture with one of his own before leaving Natsume to his own thoughts, and getting reabsorbed within a television program.

His most cherished… Natsume replays the voice in his head, relaxing into a bit of a slouch. Of course that isn’t an issue. But for Mika to assume he isn’t capable of moving his heart in the slightest? That’s just underestimating him and his charms.

“Evenin’, Nakkun!”

Natsume flinches. “Mika-kun.” He turns his head behind him. “Good Evening.”

“Hehe.” The boy smiles brightly. “Thanks fer takin’ care of me tonight.”

Natsume lightly chuckles in turn. “It’s not as if this is a Job. I’m going to enjoy myself Too.” Standing up, he completely faces Mika. “Well Then, shall We?”

 

 

By the time they get to the front of the line for the festival, and exchange their tickets for wristbands that snap on, the sky has turned a more dusty purple. The laughter of children and their guardians carry through the air, mixing with excited chatter of friends and couples alike. Even the spirits seem to excitedly slink through the low fog.

The first thing that catches Natsume’s eyes though are the food stalls near them, before it seemingly stretches into the distance alternating with skill games.

Looking to his side, Natsume asks, “Have you eaten Yet, Mika?”

“Nn…” Mika continues his glancing around. “I had a small bite earlier, but I could do with somethin’ more fillin’.”

They walk close to one another, passing bedsheets with holes for eyes, fellow witches, ghouls, and a salaryman holding a candy apple. Natsume follows Mika’s eyes and how they linger on the sheen of the apple’s caramel, then resume flitting from stall to stall in search of their meal. Looking near the side the man was walking away from, a few people dunk their heads into basins of water.

“I know you said something Filling…” Natsume raises his finger, slowing to a stop. “But how about an appetizer First?”

“Hm?” 

Emerging from one of the water basins, a person voices a triumphant cry: “Agah-id!” From behind their back, they bring one of their hands underneath their chin, letting the apple fall from their mouth into their palm. And upon being congratulated, a coupon makes its way into their other palm.

“You proposin’ we have a contest or somethin’?” Mika giggles.

Natsume has a glint in his eyes as he grins. “Not Necessarily, but I’m game if you Are.”

“Yer on then!”

When their turn comes, with the stall helpers rinsing their basins and refilling them, Natsume and Mika settle on their knees and ready themselves. 

An arm raises in the air. “On your marks… Get set…” 

The both of them sneak on last glance at one another. 

“Go!”

The majority of Natsume’s strand of hair submerges beneath the water as he tilts his head to the side. Slosh. The apple bobs in the water, drifting away with an attempt to bite. And—damn it—with another attempt, it spins, escaping once again.

“Agh,” Mika grunts beside him, with a girl making her own on Natsume’s other side.

Natsume can feel the eyes of some people passing by as well as prospective challengers, both appraising all of their likelihoods to win. The stares drive him to make his movements as effective yet elegant as he can, making it more of a spectacle. Some footsteps leave them nonetheless, while others stay, but eventually the victor raises their head.

“Gah-id!” Splash. Mika looks back down into his basin. “Erm. Had it.”

The one who mans the stall laughs, clapping. “I’ll still count that. Congratulations!”

A few helpers hand them all some napkins to wipe their faces, and the stall-owner rewards Mika his coupon before dropping pieces of chocolate into the hands of the tween girl and Natsume. Then, upon being asked, Natsume decides to donate his teeth-grazed apple towards the pile for future livestock feed.

“Looks like it’s your Win.” 

“Ya put up a good fight though~”

“We’ll see who gets the next One,” Natsume smirks. “Though that may be getting ahead of Myself. You won a free candied Apple, Right?”

“Oh, actually…” Pointing behind him with his thumb, Mika looks a little shy.

The girl from their game is showing off, placing a hand on her hip while holding up the coupon up to her friend’s face. She smiles smugly, basking in glory by resting her eyes, until her friend swipes the coupon and starts a game of chase.

“Yer right that they did look good though. It’s interesting that they’re from the same source as those.” Mika looks to the next round of players before looking back at him. “If yer still in the mood, wanna split one? My treat!”

“That should’ve been my Line.” Natsume smiles. “I was hoping to Win, but I’m glad it went to the girl in the End.”

 

 

With dessert first, in the shape of two apple halves coated in black-colored caramel, they satiate their appetites with a few adventurous food stall picks. It’s nothing too debilitating, as their footsteps maintain their spring for their walk afterwards, towards whatever catches their fancy. And likewise, it’s not too heavy to deter Natsume and his spirit to flaunt, once he catches sight of a shooting game. 

Lined on shelves are various cute plushies, from the more regular-looking ones to the more spooky or occult-themed ones. A teddy bear, sitting near the far end of a shelf, sits lonesomely, looking a little weary with its droopy button eye. It almost reminds Natsume of another teddy bear Mika has fixed up before.

“That’s naughty of ya, Nakkun.”

Whipping his head to his side, he stares. “Wh-”

“Thinkin’ of a shootin’ game when it’s starting to get a lil’ darker out?”

Ah. “It’s well lit within the Stall.” He relaxes. “That shouldn’t be a Problem, should It?”

“Hehe. Nope, not at all. Just messin’ wit’cha~”

Natsume lets Mika have a go first at picking up the toy rifle. Watching him hold it in his arms and aim with a cool, icy eye makes for a striking image. If it were a more lethal weapon… he’d say Mika had a promising back-up career as an assassin.

Pop! The play-ammunition hits its target—way off-course.

“Drat.”

Well, maybe as a trainee assassin.

“Haha. Good try, kiddo. Wanna have another go?”

Mika holds up the rifle, looking behind him. “Maybe fer ma friend?”

After Natsume’s spectacular loss with apple bobbing, he has to redeem himself. “Leave it to a Gamer,” he says.

And whether from excitement or how silly that ended up sounding, Mika softly laughs.

The rifle is deceptively hefty for its appearance, but with a few adjusting grips, Natsume aims for the target with a steady line of sight. Pop! It hits, earning him more chances. Pop, pop! The two targets to the right get marred as well. Pop! And… Pop!

“Congrats!” “—Nakkun!”

Natsume smiles, placing the rifle back down on the counter without much fanfare.

“So what’ll it be for your prize?”

Wasting no time with feigned interest, he points to the plushie begging to be taken home. “That one There.” 

“Oh?” Mika discards his guesses when he looks from a few cat plushies to the direction of Natsume’s finger. “Ooh…”

“Here ya go!”

Once the bear leans into his grasp, Natsume scoots him and Mika off to the side to where he can properly hold it out to him. “It’s for You.”

“Ya mean…” Mika’s fingers brushes with his as he takes it. “Ya got this fer me?”

“I thought it wouldn’t look as lonely if it had another Friend.”

“D’aww.” The bear’s button eye is grazed, and tension of the loose thread is tested with the same loving gentility. “That’s thoughtful of ya, thanks.” He looks back up to him. “But that makes us even now. Don’t think I’mma let ya have the momentum fer long.”

“You do have the next Pick.” Natsume grins.

 

 

The score never stays favored against one or the other for long. It teeters and totters, and it’s kind of a blur with a lot of variants of ring tosses, target practice, and luck, but playing with Mika takes away whatever monotony that peeks through. As they exit a stall with Natsume’s victory though, they continue walking through the thinner crowd, passing by those who are around their height or taller, until Mika slows his pace, looking to the side, with Natsume following suit.

“Hehehe~” 

It’s as if a mystical wind blows past their faces, revealing a couple walking out of tent flaps. The two playfully shove each other before linking hands again. Step, step, step…

Natsume faces back towards Mika. “Do you want your fortune Told?”

“Fortune?” Mika tilts his head. “Ah.” His eyes flick back to the tent, moving from star to star, moon to moon. “The pattern does look like some of yer stuff. But, hehe, you can just tell me mine any time, Nakkun!”

“I Could, but aren’t you a little curious about how someone else’s methods Differ? I admit I Am.”

“Hmm~ Guess I am too.” He smiles. “Let’s head in then.”

The tent flaps make way for them to see an ambiguously-aged woman, shuffling a deck of tarot cards in her hands with her eyes closed.

“Welcome, welcome,” the fortune teller greets. “Have a seat and get comfortable. What are the both of you looking to the spirits for, tonight?”

“Oh gee, I dunno.” Taking a seat, Mika looks to the right of him. “What kinda topic should I ask about?”

Natsume chuckles. It may be heavy-handed to suggest, but he won’t let the opportunity go. “Perhaps something that has been on your mind as of Late? It could be Anything, but if you ask Me, a fortune for love could be Illuminating.”

Mika’s eyes fill with wonder. “Ooh…!” He turns back to the lady in purple. “I’d like a general love fortune then.”

Natsume knows that Mika’s asking with Shu-niisan in mind, but it’s a small victory.

There’s a high chance for a reading in this type of environment to only feature a three-card spread with past, present, and future as context for interpretation. The spread allows for a relatively pertinent reading, yet quick enough to get clients out faster—useful for a busy festival such as the one they’re attending. 

“What a splendid choice.” The fortune teller abruptly stops her shuffling, separating the deck into two piles on the table—one in front of the other. She lingers for a moment before opening her eyes and offers a gentle smile to Mika.

When she looks over to smile at Natsume, he can’t help but feel a familiar chill run through his body. Is he reacting to that signature gaze of people-reading? Or is it because she somehow reminds him of… Mommy? The moment to dwell on it disappears as quick as it appears, however. 

Looking down at the table, the fortune teller spreads the two piles of cards in fan-like arcs before destroying the orderly presentation, shifting the cards in circular motions.

After the woman seems satisfied with the shuffle, she gives her instructions. “Please pick a card that calls out to you the most, dear.”

Mika lifts his hand up to hover over the table timidly. His finger prods at a card near the center of the table, moves to tease another card out of hiding near the left, but ultimately returns near the center again to select a card. “And now what?”

“Flip it over.”

An artistic rendition of a human skull reveals itself, with cursive English lettering near the bottom, the moment Mika does just that.

“Oh,” Mika gasps, eyes wide.

Ah. XIII, or Death—a typically misunderstood tarot card that Natsume has had to reassure newer clients about. He looks to Mika to find his curious stare.

“Be not alarmed,” the fortune teller coos.

Mika only smiles. “Oh, I’m not at all! It’s a very pretty-lookin’ card is all.”

“Oh?” There’s a hint of amusement and intrigue in the woman’s features that mirrors Natsume’s, before she settles on her polite smile again. “Hm-hm, I find that card quite pretty myself. You can place it back down on the- Yes, there will do. Now go ahead and pick another card out.”

Mika scans the cards’ backs, taking only a moment, before reaching over and picking up a card near the corner. He flips it over for everyone to see.

A silver haired jester holds four colored balloons in his hands: pink, red, blue, and purple. The Fool.

“So you have The Fool.”

After placing the card to the right of Death, Mika leans to whisper in Natsume’s ear. “Is she callin’ me an idiot?”

Natsume chuckles before whispering back. “No, that is the name of the Card.”

The woman looks between the two of them before addressing Mika again. “Please pick one last card.”

Mika’s hand hovers over the table for a few moments only for him to lower it. He looks to his right once again. “Why don’t you choose the last one, Nakkun?”

Natsume blinks. “This is your reading Though. Are you Sure?”

“Yeah.” He smiles at him. “I wantcha ta pick the last one fer me.”

“If you Insist.” Natsume looks around the table, noticing a card that is a little further from its kind. Whereas a lot of them are clumped and overlapping one another, there’s a sole card not overlapping or touching any on the left side of the table. He picks it and flips it over without realizing.

“…The Star,” both fortune tellers reveal. Natsume looks up from the card to a still-smiling woman.

“Whoa, jinx!” Mika laughs.

“This is quite an interesting spread indeed,” the lady says once Natsume places the card down next to The Fool.

“What does it mean?” Mika asks.

“Let us begin with your past—Death.” The other cards are quickly gathered into a pile off to the side. Elegant nails tap on the border of the card and the fortune teller truly begins her work.

Natsume recognizes the semi-open ended question she asks of Mika, gauging the accuracy of her initial assumptions. Mika reacts as expected to the subsequent comment of his unit—of the transformation that occurred over the years, and when The Fool suggests a broadening of horizons, he also unsurprisingly hums in interest.

But what Natsume doesn’t expect is her insight with The Star. 

“It is a hopeful future for your heart. It bears mentioning that this card carries an association with those born Aquarius.”

He feels his cheeks warm as his expression affirms the fortune teller’s guesswork. It’s not as if he wasn’t aware, but it escaped his own interpretations until just now. Catching him off guard like this…!

“Interestin’.” Mika grins. “But to tell ya the truth, the dates are a bit hard to keep track of.” He looks over to Natsume, just when he’s managed to compose himself. “Do y’know if I know anyone who’s an Aquarius?”

“Well… If I Recall, I think that bee who speaks similarly to you is One. Ah, and of Course, the red oni of Akatsuki.”

“Ohh… Wait, if Kohaku-kun is one, then aren’tcha one as well, Nakkun? I think ya said you were surprised ya had such close birthdays one time.”

He feels chilling eyes study him as he replies, “That’d be Correct.” Challenging the fortune teller’s gaze, he gives a polite smile to her. “But I was hoping to hear Mika-kun’s fortune without the influence of knowing my Sign—since we are close and All.”

“Fufu. I think your fortunes became intertwined the moment you chose his card for him, dear. Maybe even long before~” The lady slides Mika’s three cards back towards her. “In fact, I feel as if I should leave the rest of the interpretation to you instead, seeing as we have another guest so soon.”

Natsume and Mika whip their head around to see a single man peeping in shyly.

 

 

“…Did we offend her or somethin’?”

Standing with their backs to the mystical tent, a few more guests pass them by.

“Nakkun?”

“Oh- No,” Natsume reassures. “She truly did entrust the latter part of your fortune to Me. I’m just certain of it Now.”

Those familiar prodding looks, way of questioning, and somewhat motherly demeanor belong to none other than her.

“I only met her once when I was younger, but that must have been Mommy’s Mentor. It’s surprising she’s here acting like a No-name.”

“Yer mom’s mentor? Oh… Now that ya mention it, she was givin’ a few vibes that reminded me of ya.”

“Hehe. Probably because I learned some of the trade from Mommy. But Anyways, that was technically my Pick. Anywhere else you want to Go?”

Mika flicks his eyes up and hums. “While we were waitin’ fer those apples earlier, I heard something ‘bout a hedge maze.” He has an unsure expression when he looks back at him. “It sounded fun, but I’m afraid I might lose my footing now that it’s even darker out.”

Natsume chuckles. “Why don’t we hold hands Then?”

 

 

Retracing their steps, and going a little past the apple stalls, they find the entrance to the hedge maze somewhat close to the actual entrance of the festival. A few faux candle-lights dot the ground leading up to the first few hedges, with two larger pumpkins welcoming them to their maze with jagged smiles and squinty eyes.

“Guess it might not be so hard to see the ground after All.” Natsume studies, then offers his hand anyway. “But maybe to not get Lost…”

Mika giggles, taking his hand and entering with him. “Ya sure it’s not ‘cause yer a little scared too?”

Step, step… Natsume turns his head from Mika to take the lead. “What could possibly be inside of the Hedges?” Eight giant furry legs caress the sides of his face.

Shrieeek! Wide-eyed, he falls back into Mika’s chest.

“Whoa,” Mika startles too, though comparatively more composed to stand his ground. “Oh, cool. Looks like ya triggered some sort of booby trap.”

The spider stops moving, slowly being reset into the contraption hidden in the hedges.

“Nyehe. Ya gonna be okay in front?”

After Natsume removes himself from Mika with dignity, he clears his throat, resuming his position to lead. “That was just the One!”

 

 

They make progress getting deeper and deeper into the maze, vanquishing each spider that impedes their way, but when they approach a split path, they hear a few sobs.

“Did ya hear somethin’?” Mika whips his head around.

Natsume peeks to the left, where a small nook diverges from the path they’re on. “Over Here.” 

At the end of the short path, a child sits, hugging their pair of knees. They slowly approach with a warning in the form of a hello, causing the boy to raise his head.

“Are you Lost?” Natsume crouches, leaving a respectful bubble of personal space. 

“N-No!” the boy glares, but then shyly tucks into himself after a beat. “Maybe… Sniff.”

Following suit, Mika also crouches. “Is yer mom or dad somewhere in the maze too?”

The boy shakes his head, forcing a reply through the lump in his voice. “Dad was being s-stupid,” he chokes before the tears start running again. “He was being stupid and I ran away, but I got lost here, and I don’t know how to get b-back and tell him I’m sorry!” he bawls.

Natsume and Mika look at each other briefly, sharing the same concern.

“I tried to get out by myself… but everything looked the same, hic, a-and there was a little girl screaming like she was getting murdered by all the spiders…”

Strange. Natsume doesn’t remember hearing anything like that sort of noise earlier.

“Well it’s okay now.” Mika smiles. “ ‘Cause ya got two niichans here to help guide ya back to the start.”

 

 

“Sorry, Nakkun.” Mika gives one final wave to the boy and his father, before the family starts their earnest walk back home.

Natsume cocks his head. “Huh? What For? After getting attached to you so Quickly, he cheered up and even listened to the advice you gave Him.”

“Erm… Not that. I was talkin’ more about lil’ Ted.”

Shifting back to look at the smaller figures of the boy and his father holding hands, the stuffed paw of a bear is similarly grasped in the boy’s other hand. It bounces happily in time with the boy’s gait.

“That was a gift ya won for me ‘n’ all, but I gave it away right in front of yer eyes.”

“Oh,” Natsume chuckles. “I’m not offended at All. It was yours for you to do anything With—that includes re-gifting It.”

It continuously warms his heart seeing Mika be so good with kids, both for work and outside of it. Switch may have its share of young fans, but Natsume thinks he can work on being even more approachable—guess being the mysterious fortune teller can be a bit intimidating at times.

“Should we call it fer t’night?”

“Huh? We didn’t even reach the end or center of It.”

“ ‘m surprised yer still willing to go back in with those creepy crawlies.”

“Those fake insects just had the element of Surprise. If we’re merely Backtracking, I am not letting those same spiders get the jump on Me. And if it’s anything like the Valley of Stars game Sora and I Played, there might be treasure waiting for Us, so I’m curious about that as Well.”

“Hehe… then maybe I can try and give ya a buffer fer the newer guys.”

 

 

As professed, Mika shields him from the unknown encounters to where Natsume only (subtly) flinches behind him. Step by step, spider by spider, they retrace their steps once again, until they make it to an enclosed circle within the center. And whereas the paths inside the maze were illuminated, their treasure doesn’t seem to be so shiny.

Using the residual light behind them, Mika squints, trying to make out the light fixtures that seem to follow the curvature of the area. “Nngh, so dark… Are those giant apples?”

“They’re like the pumpkins we saw in the Beginning.” Natsume steps towards one. “Maybe the wind got to Them… What a Shame. They must’ve been Pretty—all lit Up.”

Thud. “Owie.” Mika places his hand on top of a bench’s backrest, stepping his hip away. “Yeah, we did come here kinda late,” he says before gasping, staring at him.

“What’s Wrong?”

“Nakkun, c’mere.”

“Hm?” Natsume cautiously back walks toward him.

He’s smiling when he pats the bench’s backrest again. “Have a seat, have a seat!”

“Eh…? Just what are you Planning?”

“Hehe, you’ll see. Close yer eyes and no peeking!”

Although Natsume complies, he gives a warning. “Whatever you’re Doing, careful In-” Clang—it wavers for a bit before he continues. “The Dark.”

“Ah, I’m okay.” He has a feeling Mika’s holding a thumbs-up, even though he can’t see it. The sound soon subsides, leaving the air to be occupied with another.

Flick.

Hm?

Flick, flick. Step, step.

The pattern continues, waning when Mika gets further away from him, but growing louder once he returns. Flick, flick! 

He hears Mika round the bench and take a seat next to him before he speaks, “You can open yer eyes now~”

It’s dazzling. Bouncing in a gentle breeze are the flames emerging from the entire circle of pumpkin heads, with their expressions ranging from mild delight to devilish mischief. The glow from the pumpkins’ eyes shine in brilliant gold, warming the area in its color… and Natsume’s heart.

“Wow.” Natsume looks around him. “How did You…?

Mika giggles, pulling out the lighter and flicking it a few times for show.

“Isn’t that the lighter Shu-niisan was going to use Yesterday? You still have It?”

“Oshi-san said that I could have it, since there was no need for him to use it anymore. But later, he got worried ‘n’ tried to ask fer it back. I didn’t wanna return it though, ‘cause it was given to me.”

Natsume chuckles. It was probably an attempt at retrieval so that no one would be set on fire. At least for today, he can reassure Shu that nothing has happened.

But come to think of it… lighter fluid is similar to propane. Looks like Mr. Capricorn carried his lucky item after all. Oh- 

“I just remembered Something. Would you close your eyes for Me, Mika?”

“Ooh, you have a surprise too?” Mika pockets the lighter and covers his eyes with both hands.

After getting up, Natsume glances at him one more time, before taking out his own knickknack from his pocket. The small clumps of copper salt slide against the edges of his vial, and they bump against one another when he rotates it. If his memory of past experiments should prove correct…

Like Mika, he walks around, sprinkling the copper—using a small shake of the vial—with cautious haste. Before the metal finishes burning, he needs to finish his loop, but not at the cost of burning himself or recklessly dropping it on the ground. Realizing he might not have enough to do all of the pumpkins, he opts to skip a few, making it an alternating pattern.

Sliding into his seat, Natsume exhales. “You can look Now.”

Mika begins by taking his hands off of his face, then blinking his eyes open. “Whoa? Some of ‘em are glowin’ blue now!”

“Fufu~ Yep. They’re just like your Eyes.”

He waits for a reaction, but instead of being bashful or flattered, Mika stills with a blank stare.

“…Mika-kun?”

Once he blinks again, Mika blushes, but in a way Natsume didn’t intend for him to. “Ah, sorry. I know ya didn’t mean anything bad by it. It’s just that… before Oshi-san, whenever someone would compare my eyes to something it was always something ugly or weird.”

He looks down, getting lost in a brief memory before perking back up.

“But, um, right! Ya said you were gonna finish telling the rest of ma fortune, didn’t chu?” The cool highlights fade from Mika’s face when the last of the copper burns away, lending the way for Mika’s blue eye to contrast with the more prominent golden hues again. 

“Well.” Natsume offers a smile, relaxing. “I guess we’re a little more comfortable for It.”

“It was the card related to yer sign, was it?”

He nods. “Mhm, The Star.”

In all likelihood, the short description Mommy’s mentor provided for Mika was never incomplete. Knowing her, she probably used her foresight to anticipate her visitors and already accounted for how much time she’d have to use. In a way, kicking Mika and him out when she did is her way of cheering him on in his personal relationships… 

He could spin it in a way that benefits him.

“Since you’re already quite devoted to a certain Someone…”

Or take the opportunity to appreciate where they stand now.

“It suggests that your relationship with him will deepen to that of profound Levels.”

Natsume can practically hear the arrow strike Mika’s heart. “Really? How soon?!”

He laughs. “I’m afraid only time will Tell. But as for a more pertinent Reading… The fact that I picked the Card, and that we came together Today… It would indicate that whatever happens, we’ll figure things Out.”

At first, Mika seems a little confused as he looks into his eyes. He lets the words sit, before his expression turns a bit wistful, proud, curious.

“I never expected to have to deal with this- Or well, not ‘deal’ in a bad way or nothing, but… Y’know what I mean.”

“Yeah. I didn’t expect to Either, but coming to love my niisans was as natural as it was Strange. If it weren’t for that bloody War, I doubt I would be together with Shu-niisan, let alone the Others.” Natsume looks down to both of their shoes. “You always had your sights for him Though. Maybe you could’ve even made something work with Niichan-senpai.”

“…Mm.” Mika’s also looking between both of their shoes when Natsume peeks at him. That wasn’t the best wording, but Natsume can imagine that Mika is thinking of a world where Valkyrie could have fallen in a less cruel way, where time could have been an ally anyways. “I wonder. That woulda been crazy to think of back then. But lookin’ at us here now… Maybe I coulda.”

He lightly swings one of his feet before abruptly stopping.

“Can I confess somethin’ to you, Nakkun?”

Natsume shifts in his seat to pay closer attention to Mika. “What is It?”

Though the question seemed lighthearted at first, Mika’s pause growing for longer and longer starts to make Natsume anxious.

“I hated ya fer a while.”

“…Eh?”

“Well, I was real envious or… I dunno, jealous of ya, ‘round the end of our first year—maybe during our second,” Mika says. “I didn’t know what ta do. Electrocutin’, strangulation, poison… Any which way, I wanted ta kill ya.”

Natsume blinks.

“It’s embarrassin’ to admit, but…” Mika overlaps his hands on his legs. “After Nazuna-nii decided ta chase his own happiness, and Oshi-san started moving himself, I thought maybe… maybe Oshi-san would finally look only my way. Though, I soon realized that the bond he shared with y’all? It went deeper than I thought… with you bein’ his lil’ favorite.”

Ah. Natsume doesn’t think they were explicitly calling each other boyfriends at that point, but for all intents and purposes, that’s what they pretty much were. At the very least, it was clear to the five of them that they all harbored romantic feelings for one another.

“Ngah, but that was back then, back then!” Mika waves his hands. “I know that goin’ through whatchu guys did… It would make anyone close. Plus, yer a good friend of mine now, and I don’t hate being here with ya! Honest!” 

He then lowers his still hands back onto his lap. 

“But… I guess that’s a lil’ hard ta believe after I’ve gone ‘n’ said all that, huh?”

“Actually,” Natsume smiles, “it isn’t all that Far-fetched. Would you believe me if I told you I initially hated my Niisans? To the point that I wanted to kill them Too?”

Mika blinks. “…Eeeeh!?”

“Haha. It’s True. Funny how things can turn Out, Right?” He sighs, before relaxing into the shape of the bench’s backrest. “Listen, Mika-kun… I might also have something to confess to.”

“Nn?”

“Remember yesterday? When you mentioned how Shu-niisan would still be your most cherished, even after our date? I… I felt the desire to sweep you off your feet to prove a point—like how I’d be just as charming as Nii-san… or something.”

Ugh, it sounds so lame saying it out loud. 

“And while my initial intent was to go as friends, I realize I was taking your feelings for Shu-niisan lightly with that way of thinking. I feel childish for feeling competitive… and I want to apologize, even if you didn’t notice my desperation. Though, I’m assuming you must have by now.”

“Nakkun…”

“If the only Eccentric you end up ever having eyes for is Shu-niisan, that’s perfectly fine. Just know that, regardless, you’re important to me—to all of us. We’re here for you, if you ever need us for anything.

“And I’m sure he’s put it more eloquently before, but I also want to reassure you that you truly are Nii-san’s irreplaceable partner. Not only are you the one who can be on par with his artistry, but you don’t see the way he looks at you when you aren’t aware. The text messages asking me to keep watch, his scrapped gift ideas… He’s always thinking of you.”

The gold embers reflected in Mika’s eyes shimmer.

“…To be honest with you, it’s been a long night and I’m about ready to head home, but I don’t want us to leave off on such a deception.” 

Natsume stands, walking a few paces forward and then spinning to face Mika once more.

“So, with more purehearted intentions this time… Before midnight strikes, and the magic of this festival fades,” Natsume holds a hand out, “will you have me, Mika?”

Mika stares at him, until the smile that spreads across his face is as tender as the feeling of his palm.

“Course, I will.”

And so they dance. They dance and dance, but eventually the magic must fade, the clock must chime, and their glass slippers must return to normal. Splurging a bit, the pumpkin they take home is not orange, but yellow.

 

 

“I enjoyed our time together Today.”

“Me too, Nakkun. Thanks fer accompanyin’ me back, ya didn’t hafta.”

“Well, what kind of monster would I be to let you walk back alone at Nightfall?”

“If it were further out like my ol’ apartment, I’d understand, but- I know I haven’t been livin’ here fer that long, but the Seisoukan hallways seem pretty safe?”

“You never know what sorts of dangers lurk hiding in plain Sight,” Natsume bluffs. “I Just… wanted to see you home Safe. And now that you Are, I shouldn’t keep you from your bedtime routine any later than I Am.” He keeps his gaze on Mika as he steps towards the elevator near the end of the hall. “So, I’ll be Off. Sleep Tight.”

“Um, wait, before you go…!” 

Mika grabs Natsume’s hand, stilling him in his tracks. 

“Fer the record ‘n’ all… ya did manage to make ma heart flutter.” He smiles. “The others, I dunno… but I wouldn’t mind goin’ out with you again.”

In the time Natsume takes to process the statement, Mika kisses him on the cheek and slips him a piece of candy. “G’night.”

Natsume stares until Mika’s door shuts softly to finally blink, feeling his cheeks tingle with warmth. And after his heart calms in its momentary spike, he grins—exhaling softly through his nose—then he walks away murmuring to himself.

“Ah, now that’s just not fair.”