After a few hours
Tsukki wiped sweat from his brow—
Mika and Shu nodded at him.
> "We'll get you a drink. Black tea. No sugar. Just like your soul," Mika teased.
Tsukki didn't smile.
But he *didn't* glare either—so it was close enough.
They slid the door open, stepping out—
leaving Raito alone in the practice room,
sunlight fading into soft gold across the floor.
He stretched, breathing deep—
then turned on the music again:
> A quiet beat started.
>
> His beat.
>
> **His** rhythm.
And as he danced—slower this time, just for himself—
the mirror reflected more than movement...
It showed:
A boy who once ran from pain,
now *dancing* with it.
Outside,
the world still buzzed with MVs and fan edits and "Sun & Moon Forever™" merch (courtesy of his mom),
but here?
In this quiet light?
Raito wasn't performing...
### He was becoming. 💫
🌙☀️🪩
The hallway hummed with echoes—
soft lights overhead,
music faint from distant practice rooms.
**Shu Itsuki** and **Mika Kagehira** walked side by side,
pace calm, voices low—
discussing Valkyrie's upcoming performance.
But behind them,
**Tsukki** followed in silence.
Hands in pockets.
Eyes down.
Not brooding—*thinking.*
Every step measured. Quiet. Like he carried the weight of a thousand unsung verses.
Then—
Shu suddenly stopped,
turning slightly:
> "You're not just walking behind us, Tsukki."
>
> "You're listening."
Mika glanced back, adjusting his sleeve:
> "Hard not to. You've got the ears of someone who hears *between* notes."
Tsukki paused—then gave the tiniest nod:
> "...Your melody was different today.
>
> Lighter.
>
> But still sharp."
>
### He looked up:
>
> **"Like you knew something was changing."**
Shu's lips curved—just a sliver of a smile:
> "Maybe we felt it... from *your* half of the sky."
And as they turned the corner toward the vending machines—
a single beam of moonlight slipped through the window...
landing right on Tsukki's shoulder—
as if even night itself said:
🌙
*"Keep going."*
🌙
The vending machine hummed to life with a soft *beep*.
Cold light flickered over their faces.
Mika punched in the code — **black tea, two bottles.**
> "One for you," he said, nudging one toward Tsukki,
>
> "And one for me — because surviving Raito's mom livestreams requires caffeine."
Shu leaned against the wall,
observing the screen reflect in Tsukki's quiet eyes:
> "You don't say much.
>
> But when you move... when you sing..."
>
> He paused.
>
### "You speak louder than words."
The machine whirred.
A clunk.
Then—
Tsukki caught the bottle mid-fall,
cool glass in hand.
He stared at it a second...
then muttered:
> "...Raito would've dropped this and screamed about bad luck."
Mika smirked:
"True. But you caught it."
>
### "Like always."
Silence settled—warm, not heavy.
Then Shu turned slightly,
voice low but clear:
> "You're not just carrying your past."
>
> "You're guiding his light too."
>
### "...Don't forget that."
And somewhere—
in that quiet hallway under soft fluorescent glow—
Tsukki took his first sip...
and didn't flinch at the silence anymore. 🌙🖤
The colorful drink icons scrolled.
Pineapple.
Passion fruit.
Strawberry banana.
Strawberry.
Blue raspberry...
Then, under the menu:
> *Tap for more.*
His finger hovered...
then pressed.
New flavors bloomed across the screen...
*Orange. Cherry. Kiwi. Grape.*
But one was a single word:
### **Surprise** 🧃🍓
Tsukki paused—
then selected it.
The machine whirred.
A pause.
A clunk.
Then—
A bright-pink, carbonated drink fell to the bottom.
On the can, in looping letters:
> *Strawberry Pop!*
Mika chuckled:
> "Of course. *Pink* of all things."
A beat,
then he smirked:
> "Raito would love it. That guy never met a sweet thing he didn't like."
Shu laughed.
Tsukki grabbed the pink can—slid it into his bag like evidence.
No words.
No smile.
Just *done.*
Then he twisted open his black tea,
brought it to his lips,
and drank—
slow, calm,
watching the hallway lights flicker above.
Mika glanced at Shu:
> "He's worse than you at hiding feelings."
Shu nodded solemnly:
> "Cold. Quiet. Overprotective."
>
### "...He'll make a fine moon."**
Tsukki didn't react.
But—
his thumb brushed the pink can in his bag...
just once.
🌙🖤🫶
Tsukki turned,
bottle in hand,
footsteps soft against the quiet hall.
The lights above flickered like distant stars.
Somewhere ahead—
music still played.
Raito's voice, faint through walls:
> *"I'm louder than my head..."*
Tsukki paused—
listened a second...
then kept walking.
Not fast.
Not slow.
Just *toward*—
like always.
With tea.
With silence.
And one stupid pink can for the boy who never stops shining. 🌙💖
Tsukki walked up a flight of stairs,
Raito's voice faint behind him.
The steps hummed underfoot.
Above,
more laughter-echoes. More practice rooms.
It was early for the night,
but no one ever really stops training here.
Not for long, at least.
Just before he reached the top floor,
he muttered:
> "Louder than your head, indeed."
A rare chuckle escaped Tsukki—
quiet, almost stolen by the wind.
> "...You're impossible, Raito."
He shook his head slightly,
eyes still forward,
voice barely above a whisper:
> "Singing like the world will end if you don't...
>
> Dancing like pain can't touch you..."
>
### "But your mom's fan edits hurt more than trauma."
Another step.
Another breath.
Then, softer—
with something almost *fond* in it:
> "...Still. You weren't wrong."
>
> **"The light wins."**
And with that,
he kept walking—
moonlight at his back,
pink soda in his bag,
and the ghost of a smile fading into silence. 🌙💫
Tsukki froze.
The door creaked open—
moonlight spilled in,
then the dim glow of the practice room lights.
And there—
**Raito.**
Lying motionless on the floor.
One arm stretched out.
Legs tangled in a half-finished dance move.
Eyes... *closed.*
> "Raito?"
No answer.
Tsukki dropped his bag—stepped forward fast,
heart jumping—*panic rising...*
Then—
Raito's chest rose and fell.
**Sleeping.**
Just... *asleep.*
From across the room, Mika whispered:
> "He danced for three hours straight. Didn't even notice when we left."
Shu folded his arms, voice low:
> "He burns bright."
>
### "But even suns need to rest."
Tsukki exhaled—tension melting into something softer.
He knelt beside Raito,
gently shook his shoulder:
> "...Hey. Floor's not a bed."
Raito groaned, eyes fluttering:
"Mmmh... five more minutes..."
Then blinked up at Tsukki—
and smiled sleepily:
"Did I do good?"
Tsukki didn't answer with words.
Instead?
He pulled out that **pink can**, popped it open,
and handed it to him—cold and sweet like dawn after a long night. 🌞🥤
And only then—
did Raito finally sit up...
laughing softly into the quiet dark. 💫
Tsukki narrowed his eyes.
> "You scared me, idiot."
Then—
***WHACK.***
A soft, *affectionate* knuckle sandwich landed on Raito's head.
Not too hard.
Just enough.
Raito yelped—
"Ow! Hey!!"
Rubbing his scalp dramatically:
> "I was giving my *all*! That's what idols do!"
Tsukki stood up,
voice flat—but warmth in his eyes:
> "Idols also don't faint from exhaustion.
>
> You're not 'giving your all.'
>
### You're being a pain."**
Raito pouted—still holding the pink soda like a trophy—
but then grinned:
"Aw, come on... you *like* my pain."
Tsukki turned away,
muttering as he picked up the bag:
> "...I like you alive more."
And in that quiet practice room,
with music off and lights low—
sun slept,
moon watched over him...
and everything?
**Was exactly where it needed to be.** 🌙💫
The weekday
**Raito and Tsukki** walked through the halls—
sunlight pouring in through tall windows,
casting long shadows across the tile.
Music club paperwork in their hands.
A normal lunch hour.
Raito groaned,
slouching forward:
> "Homework at lunch??
>
> Koga-senpai is cruel."
Tsukki glanced over:
> "He just wants us to take it seriously."
As they walked,
Raito remembered—
Koga earlier,
stern eyes and crossed arms,
saying:
> ***We have a lot of events coming up; I need you to practice every lunch until the club exhibition.****
Raito groaned again:
> *"Every lunch?? For weeks?? But that's our lunch and* *pancake time!*"
Koga just fixed him with a look:
> *"Pancake time is over."*
"This is no time to be slackin'. You want your voice heard? Then *show up* — every day, every practice."
Raito pouted,
flipping through the music sheets:
> "But... I *did* show up! For like... three hours yesterday!"
Tsukki side-eyed him:
> "And then passed out. And made me carry your bag."
"It was emotional labor!!" Raito whined, arms flailing—
nearly dropping the stack.
Tsukki quickly steadied it,
muttering:
> "You're going to lose every sheet if you keep yelling."
>
> He adjusted them neatly.
>
### "...Like a sun that can't stop shining but forgot how to land."
Raito blinked.
Then grinned wide—
cheeks pink:
"Whoa. Was that... a *poem*? From Tsukki??"
Tsukki didn't answer.
Just kept walking—faster now—as if speed could erase what he'd said.
But Raito bounced after him,
laughing into the hallway light:
> "I'm keeping that line!! Going straight into my next MV!!"
Behind them,
the wind rustled the papers slightly—
like even Yumenosaki was smiling. 🌤️📚🎶
Raito yelped—
the papers scattering everywhere:
> "O-Oh no! I am so sorry—"
But before he could say more,
the woman was already crouching,
gathering sheets in perfect order:
hands quick,
eyes warm and smiling.
"It's alright. No harm done."
The woman's voice was light like windchimes,
musical and easy to listen to.
When she looked up,
Blue eyes sparkled with kindness:
"Are these for your club?"
Raito nodded,
still embarrassed:
> "Y-Yeah... but it's our club homework. And my clubmates will kill me if I lose even one note..."
She stood slowly, handing the stack back with a soft smile.
> "Then I'll pray for your success,"
>
> she said, fingers brushing the cover sheet—
> *"Polar Opposites – Live Recital Draft"* — as if blessing it.
Her voice turned warm, sincere:
> "Sun and moon walking side by side...
>
### That kind of light?
>
> It doesn't just shine.
>
### It *heals.*"
Raito blinked—surprised.
Tsukki watched quietly,
sensing something...
familiar?
Like her presence had always been in the wind—
just passing through at exactly the right moment.
Then she stepped back,
the hallway light wrapping around her like a halo:
> "Keep going. Both of you."
>
> One hand lifted in quiet farewell.
>
### "And don't forget to rest."
And with that—
she turned,
walking down the hall without another word...
until Raito suddenly called out:
"Wait! Who are you?!"
She didn't turn back.
Just raised a hand—
waving once—
before vanishing around the corner...
like morning mist under rising sun. 🌤️💫
Silence fell.
Tsukki finally spoke:
> "...She felt like someone's older sister."
>
He paused.
>
### "...Or an angel who skipped class."
Raito clutched the papers tight,
whispering:
**"...We're gonna make her proud."**
The hallway hummed with distant laughter, music, the ocean breeze—
but now,
something felt different.
Raito walked a little taller.
Tsukki's grip on his side of the stack was firmer—
not just carrying paper.
Carrying *purpose.*
> "You think she really prayed for us?" Raito asked, voice soft.
>
> Tsukki glanced sideways.
>
> "Didn't you feel it? Like... someone believed in us before we even finished falling."
>
### He paused.
>
> **"Like she saw our future... and liked it."**
Raito smiled—small, sincere.
Then whispered:
"Then we *have* to make that future real."
Footsteps echoed under golden light,
two shadows merging into one across the floor—
sun and moon,
moving forward,
paper in hand,
a stranger's hope tucked between the notes. 🌤️🌙🎶
They walked up the club room to find Koga standing outside the door,
arms crossed,
gaze sharp as sunrise:
> "You took your time."
Raito laughed nervously—
still clutching the music:
> "We didn't mean to! We just... bumped into someone in the hallway and got delayed!"
Koga just raised an eyebrow.
> "I see."
His eyes turned to Tsukki.
> "And you? Any excuses, Moon?"
Tsukki met his gaze,
expression neutral.
> "None."
As they stepped in,
the room felt different:
The air was lighter.
Like someone was there who changed the very atmosphere.
And that someone?
**Anzu.**
Standing by the table,
papers spread,
chatting easily with Koga.
She smiled when Raito and Tsukki approached,
handing the last stacks to Koga:
> "Here. Notes for your first song—perfect for your club's upcoming recital."
Koga nodded,
taking them.
Koga leaned against the desk,
voice low but clear:
> "That woman? That's Anzu."
Raito blinked.
Tsukki tilted his head—curious now.
Koga continued:
> "Transferred in just like you two. Quiet. Driven."
>
> He glanced at Tsukki.
>
> "Kinda reminded me of you."
>
> Then at Raito:
>
### "And she smiled like she carried the sun inside her too."
Anzu laughed lightly,
stepping forward:
> "I didn't *carry* it—I stole a little every day from people like them."
She gestured to Hinata and Yuta—
who were now grinning, whispering:
*"No way... that angel was one of us?!"*
Then Anzu turned back,
eyes warm:
### "I started here—with this club, these floors, these dreams."
>
> She held up a badge on her lanyard:
>
**Trickstudio – Independent Producer**
>
### "Now I help others shine... without losing themselves."
Raito stared—
then burst out:
"Wait... so you were *us?!*"
Anzu winked.
"Just with better headphones—and slightly less dramatic breakups with my mom over pancake syrup choices."
Tsukki almost smiled.
Almost.
But then he said quietly—
so only Raito could hear:
### "...Our future just got real."**
And in that room?
With music humming underfoot and stars still far away...
Polar Opposites didn't just see a path anymore.
They felt it. 🌟🎧🌙
The club room door opened with a creak,
and Hinata darted in
like a golden tornado:
> "We brought the drinks! And cookies!"
Koga glanced up:
"Where the hell were you two?"
Yuta,
following Hinata—
much more casual:
> "Hinata made a pit stop at the café for the second time this week."
Koga just rolled his eyes:
> "The café's not a pit stop, Yuta. It's a sugar addiction."
Hinata grinned:
> "I'm on a *mission* to try all the recipes on their summer menu. And I'm winning."
Koga groaned:
> "Your pancreas doesn't agree."
Raito burst out laughing, nearly dropping his music sheets again—
"Hinata's on a mission to sweeten the entire academy one cookie at a time!"
Tsukki sighed,
already heading for the practice corner:
> "And we're all gonna die of diabetes before graduation."
But there was no real annoyance in it.
Just fond resignation.
He plugged in his headphones,
pulled up the tempo sheet,
and started humming—soft, precise,
like moonlight tuning to melody.
Anzu watched him for a second—
then turned to Koga:
> "They really *are* Polar Opposites... but balanced."
>
### "One pulls people in. The other holds them together."
Koga gave one slow nod:
> "Yeah."
>
> He glanced at Raito—laughing with Hinata and Yuta,
>
> then Tsukki—quiet, focused,
>
### "...They're going farther than any of us thought."
Outside,
the ocean glittered under afternoon sun...
and somewhere?
The future began its quiet spin. 🌞🌙🎶
The campus hummed with late-afternoon life as Raito and Tsukki left the club room—
the sun beginning to set.
Raito stretched—
muscles sore from hours of dancing:
> "I'm gonna sleep for a whole week. Maybe a month."
Tsukki glanced at him:
> "You'd get out of shape."
Raito groaned,
throwing his hands up:
> "But I'm *sooo* tired!"
Tsukki raised an eyebrow:
> "You're also melodramatic."
Raito just crossed his arms, pouting:
> "You try dancing for three straight hours."
>
### "See how you feel after."
Then—
a quiet chuckle escaped Tsukki.
Not loud.
Not long.
But real.
Raito's eyes snapped to him—
then *lit up* like sunrise breaking through clouds:
> "Whoa. You *laughed.* Actual human noise. Confirmed."
Tsukki didn't respond.
Just kept walking,
shoulders looser now,
eyes forward—
but the ghost of a smile still lingered at his lips.
Raito grinned wider,
falling into step beside him:
> "You know... you should do that more often."
>
> He nudged Tsukki playfully.
>
### "It doesn't hurt, right? Smiling?"
Silence stretched—
warm, easy—
until Tsukki finally said:
> "...Only when you're being annoying."
But he didn't pull away from the nudge.
And Raito knew:
That was as good as a hug. 💫
They walked on,
side by side,
shadows stretching long across the pavement—
sun and moon heading home...
not saying much...
just being together. 🌙☀️
**CosmoPRO**'s office sparkled with gold-trimmed glory—
a far cry from the school clubs' cozy chaos.
Ibara stood by his desk,
arms crossed,
gaze sharp as a blade:
> "Polar Opposites. I have a proposal for you."
Raito and Tsukki glanced at each other—
then back to Ibara.
> "A proposal?"
Tsukki asked.
Ibara nodded slowly,
leaning against the edge of his desk—
like a lion stalking its prey.
> "You know what an idol festival is, yes? And you know that the Cosmo Festival is coming up in a month... correct?"
Raito and Tsukki glances at each other then nodded
Ibara's lips curled—
not quite a smile.
> "Then listen well."
He turned, flicking on a holographic screen—
images flashing: crowds, lights, stages the size of stadiums.
> "The **Cosmic Festival**.
>
> Biggest idol event of the year.
>
### And Polar Opposites?"
>
> He paused.
>
### "You're headlining the opening night."
Silence.
Raito's eyes went wide—
like he'd just been struck by lightning made of dreams.
Tsukki tensed,
voice calm but sharp:
> "...Why us? We're still new. Unproven at that scale."
Ibara smirked,
folding his arms:
> "Because you *feel*. Not perform."
>
> He glanced between them.
>
### "And when Raito sings... people forget to breathe."
>
> Then to Tsukki:
>
### "And when you move... they feel safe in the dark."
Another pause—
heavier now.
Then Ibara stepped forward:
> "This isn't just a concert."
>
> **"It's your declaration."**
>
> Sun and Moon — no longer trainees.
>
### Now — idols who stand on their own stage."
Raito swallowed hard,
fists clenching slightly—
not from fear...
from fire.
Tsukki didn't speak right away.
Just looked at Raito—
saw the hope burning behind those bright eyes...
then turned back to Ibara:
#### "**We'll do it.**"
Raito snapped toward him—
"Really?!"
Tsukki gave one small nod,
and for once...
let himself say it too:
#### "...Yeah."
They're going live. 🌟🌌
The practice room was quiet—
just the hum of the AC and distant seagulls outside.
Raito stretched, still buzzing from yesterday's news:
> "We're... *headlining.* Head-lining! Can you believe it?!"
Tsukki stood by the mirror,
already in position,
voice calm:
> "That means practice. Twice as hard."
But there was a flicker in his eyes—
not fear.
*Anticipation.*
Raito grinned,
hitting play on the demo track:
> "Then let's make something they'll never forget!"
The beat dropped—
soft at first, then building:
a fusion of sunlit melody and moonlit rhythm.
They moved—
not perfectly.
But *together.*
And with every step,
every glance exchanged across the floor...
the stage in their minds grew brighter—
realer.
Outside,
the wind brushed through open windows...
carrying whispers from afar:
Anzu's quiet prayer.
Ibara's challenge.
Koga's expectations.
And Raito, mid-spin, laughing breathlessly:
> **"This one's for everyone who believed before we even did!"**
Tsukki didn't answer with words.
He just danced harder—
moon keeping pace with a sun that refused to set. 🌞🌙🎶
Tsukki slowed as the track faded,
breath steady but chest rising—
eyes on Raito, still bouncing to an invisible beat.
> "I'm getting water," he said.
Raito didn't stop dancing—
just waved over his shoulder:
> "Get me something sweet! And cold! And magical if possible!"
Tsukki rolled his eyes—
but muttered under his breath:
> "...As if you're not magic enough already."
Then the door slid shut behind him,
leaving Raito alone in the quiet hum of memory and music.
Sunlight pooled across the floor,
stretching long—like arms reaching forward.
And Raito kept moving...
not for show.
Not for practice.
### Just because —
*he had a stage to claim.* 💫
The hallway stretched quiet,
sunlight cutting across the tiles in golden stripes.
Tsukki walked with steady steps—
two bottles in hand:
> One black tea.
> One strawberry fizz.
Because he remembered.
And maybe—just maybe—
the pink can wasn't *just* for Raito's sugar rush.
It was a promise:
**I'm still here.
I'm still watching.
We're still going.**
A breeze slipped through the open window—
carrying the distant echo of singing from another club room,
laughter from the courtyard...
but Tsukki stayed silent,
his shadow long beside him—
moon walking alone, but never lost. 🌙
Tsukki stopped in his tracks.
Saw the caller ID.
Scowled.
But answered anyway.
Ibara spoke immediately:
> "Tsukki. I have a question."
Tsukki leaned against the wall,
holding the phone to his ear.
> "A question," he repeated.
Ibara chuckled,
smug as ever.
> "Yes. A *question.* And a simple one, at that."
To be continued