trigger warning: if you're highly disturbed by spirits or anything to do with supernatural beings, it's recommended that you do not read this chapter! or well, the entire story itself because it somewhat revolves around that center. sweats.


Sculpting takes a lot of time— that was one of the things Shoyo already learned but slowly began to understand some more.

Early semester had long started, and before he could have come to a realization, he found himself being sandwiched underneath the pile of assignments and constant pressure. He would say that the pile was enormous, but then he'd be exaggerating since he had only taken one course for university; he can't imagine what it would be like to be others who were taking two or more subjects.

He's tired, close to exhaustion and yet he continued to work on his project that is nowhere close to completion but has to be before the following week's deadline. Palm dug into the fore of his head, he felt constrained and it was all due to the pressure of the work— the theme of the project was complicated, the conditions being that it should be a variation of their own work and had to promote a valid motion, a short essay should be passed in as well to explain their creation. Their lecturer truly must be a sadist, Shoyo mused, almost every single day, the class were given assignments with occasional projects sprinkled in.

Yet he could proudly say that he managed as his marks are slightly above average albeit in only certain areas. However, there were a supple amount of tools, techniques and materials that is still required for him to work on in order to enhance his abilities, but the foremost would have to be the further development of his creativity. He's lacking that, so far.

Shoyo sighed, leaning further against the back of his chair as he adjusted his glasses. His work space was completely a disorganized mess; crumpled papers lied around, remnants of his previous works had yet to be cleaned up, folders and files arranged incorrectly and there were contents of his ( once ) tool kit were scattered from place to place. He long came to terms with this flaw of his. He craned forward once more, a pencil steady in his grip as he tried to draw out another detail and write down an expression to go with it— which shan't be needed to say, but he failed. Miserably.

He groaned loudly, his head thrown back as he nearly tugged at his hair, exasperated for not being able to come up with even a single idea. How in the world is he going to finish if he's like this? With that being said, how could Tsukishima be able to handle this?

Shoyo grimaced at the sudden thought of the newcomer— or not so the newcomer. The first time he encountered him, he came home with a friend namely Tadashi Yamaguchi who was about to move in with them. Tall, so very tall, was the first thing that came into his mind that made him become slightly intimidated by Tsukishima, but he figured that he should be tolerable as the others and so, he set out to introduced himself to the latter. He was proven wrong only a second later.

Despite his personality being a resemblance to a shred dick, he found that there were few aspects to him that made him a tad bit tolerable. As Sugawara stated before, he was reserved, rarely giving out any information of his personal life to which showed that he isn't exactly a boastful person. Another aspect to him that he found was due to an observation that he had set during one of their class sessions. Tsukishima had the natural talent to sculpt; it must be the height, because his hands were big and the fingers were definitely longer compared to his which by extension, would have made sculpture easier for him.

He concentrated, at times, but Shoyo could see that even if his concentration was put in, he isn't giving his all. He could tell because of the dull look in his eyes as if it was simply another mundane thing. Another evidence would be his grades, they were average if he could recall correctly, and although Shoyo should be satisfied that he got higher grades, it doesn't change the fact that he envied him. Tsukishima's sculptures were more perfectly done than his; the only reason why he received an average grade was because he isn't giving his all.

"Damn him." Shoyo mumbled underneath his breath as he furiously erased the nonsensical details away from the paper. For a moment, he considered on barging into Tsukishima's room and demand him for his talent but he knows better than to do that.

In a haste, he decided that his attempt would be enough for today since it was getting late. As much as he loves to sculpt, that didn't make the difficulty any less. He needed an inspiration, he thought to himself, he needed to find something that could at the very least motivate him even by a bit. Putting away his glasses and rising from his seat, he moved to wash his face by the sink in the restroom, mentally preparing himself for another exhilarating day. He sighed, eyes flickering to the mirror before him when he noticed a familiar mark on his collarbone.

So, it's not like he wanted to think about it when he tried so hard to forget— but he can't because it's inevitable and it's part of this world, it's a part of him— in the end, Shoyo was always reminded about it in more ways than one.

Surprisingly, since early semester started, one of the buds, the orange colored to be more specific, had sprouted into no more less than a very delicate young flower. He takes pride in the beauty, and the first time he discovered its blossoming, he stared at it in amazement because this flower, despite it being so young, already looked astonishing. As beautiful the buds are however, its blooming raised a big flag and a red question mark above his head.

Why did only one of the buds bloomed?

To be more specific, why did he have two buds instead of one?

Why are they differently colored?

Wait. Since they bloomed, doesn't this mean he met his soulmate?

Yes, it must be. There can't be any other possible explanation.

He briefly remembered that after the discovery, he went a long way to interact with everyone that he became acquainted with, and yet, not a single interaction from any of them made an impact on the bud.

It's true, like a moth being drawn to a flame, Shoyo does exhibit the ability to enchant and befriend those around him. Mayhaps it was his extroverted personality that drew them in or it could be the aura radiating around him that reeked of sunshine drops and a pleasant breeze. In the end, Shoyo merely regarded it as a matter that could never be resolved on his own. The blossom simply stayed at its size and was stubbornly refusing to grow. It was starting to frustrate him because he doesn't have any idea of who the person was ( the perks of having quite a lot of acquaintances ) and he most certainly hadn't taken into account where or when did they meet, but if they did, he could only guess that their first encounter was entirely brief. He's still uncertain about why he felt desperate to find the person when he barely knows them.

And of course, Shoyo decided that he should keep covering it; he now had a cabinet full of scarves to help it match with his clothes. People still asked, whether he feels stuffy when wearing it especially due to the tremendous heat, but Shoyo merely shrugged, saying that he's now used to it. It was partially a lie, he does feel hot, but he's grown to it now.

He raised a hand, moving to brush his fingertips against the not moving yet growing bud that was stuck to his skin like a permanent ink.

If Shoyo could, he blamed the buds. He blamed the soulmate system, whoever came up with it, and most definitely his own soulmate for putting him through all the trouble because right now, whenever he wants to not think about it, he always somehow ended up thinking about it even at impractical times.

He sighed, forcing himself to tear his gaze away from the mirror. "I can't do this." Then trudged his way back to his room in a favor for rest.


Shoyo had come out of the classroom with bits of paint smeared against his face and arm, his scarf around the neck having only small specks of stains. Fortunately, he didn't have to do much work today, but he supposed that their lecturer was being lenient today since their only task given was to color paint one of their created sculptures. He checked his watch, surprised to see that his class ended earlier than usual. Well, that's a first— but he figured that this meant he could make up more time for him to finish his incomplete task.

"Hinata!" A voice called out from behind, and Shoyo immediately turned to find Yamaguchi catching up to him, slowing down to steady pace for them to walk together.

"You're not with the lanky piece of bread?" The redhead questioned, crinkling his forehead in confusion to which Yamaguchi chuckled lightly, knowing exactly who it is the insult was directed to.

"He said that he had something to do." Something? Somehow, that sounded unlikely of Tsukishima to go about without his friend. Shoyo would question him further, but decided to discard it since it may be a minor matter. "Have you done your assignment yet?" He asked in the stead of his initial thought.

"The one where we have to express a motion? Almost there." Replied Yamaguchi before tilting his head and throw him a look. "How about you?"

"No." Shoyo sulked with his brows furrowed, displeased to know that everyone but him were already making progress. "I don't have anything yet. I'm still stuck with the drafting."

Yamaguchi could only stare at him with surprise, "It's due in about a week." He pointed out, concern taking over the expression of his face. "You think you could finish it?"

"I don't know." He admitted sulkily, his shoulders slumping slightly. "I'm trying to find inspiration— something that could give me a good idea! I've been staying up late nowadays to find one, but it's just so difficult to— I just—" A sigh was released in frustration. "I never expected for university to be so complicated."

"There is a reason why it comes after college, you know." Yamaguchi teased.

"Well— yeah. I do know, but I didn't think it'd be this tiring!"

They conversed for some more along the way, oblivious to whichever the directions that they took, and simply decided to walk around. Before long, soon, there was a glimpse of a figure from the corner of his eyes that caught Shoyo's attention, bringing him to cease in a complete halt. Slowly did he let his gaze trail towards where he saw a glimpse until it landed on a familiar figure standing under the palm tree. Oh, he mused to himself when finding that upon further inspection, it was the same person whom he so happened to see everyday.

It'd be understandable to say that Shoyo was most certainly curious about him— but that was mainly because whoever this guy was, he's wearing the same outfit as he did the first day he saw him and what piqued his curiosity even more was the fact that he's been staying in the same spot. It was suspicious, it was weird, but it definitely did a good job in catching his attention.

Eventually, the brunet had taken heed of his pause as he stopped walking either, giving few glances between Hinata and to where he was staring at. "Hinata? What are you stopping for?" But Shoyo failed to notice the question the other had set for him, "I wonder from which class is he in." And only replied with a thought blurted out from his mouth as he busily scrutinized the third person from far.

He turned around to meet the other's questioning gaze. "Hey, do you know that guy?" He asked without a beat.

"Who?"

"That guy over there, standing under the tree! Do you know him?"

"Hinata."

"What?"

"No one is standing there."

A bucket of cold water poured over him was what he felt like at hearing this. Shoyo turned, swiftly, to meet the confused eyes of his friend with his own. "What do you mean? He's just right there." He nearly cried out the last part before propping his chin up to where the man stood.

Then he observes, Yamaguchi glancing to where he pointed out then looking around for one more time only to end up frowning some more. "But I see no one around here." The brunet slowly said.

At this, bewilderment instantly wrote the features of the redhead's face shortly afterwards, and he had done naught but merely blinked at the other in a response. Is this a joke, he can't help but wonder? Could the latter be toying around with him for the sake of his own amusement? He was about to ask him only to stop because no. Yamaguchi did not seem like the type of person who'd joke around, and they lived together long enough for him to know that. The look on his face itself said it all, and it looked anything but feigned.

"Maybe it was just your imagination?" Yamaguchi said, effectively snapping him out of his thoughts, and he felt guilty for almost accusing him.

"But..." But it can't be his imagination, not when that person is definitely there and even as Shoyo threw a glance sideways to where the other was, he still is. How is it that he could see him but Yamaguchi can't? He tries to point out to the man again, but when he does, he immediately froze, the words on the tip of his tongue slipping away when met by a rather intimidating sight.

The man was looking at his way, and this time, he could see his features more clearly.

No doubt, he was cloaked in a dark jumpsuit as he always had before. Regardless, with his defined facial structure and his dark hair swept in an orderly fashion, he had to admit that he was attractive. Despite the attractiveness, however, there was something else that got to him. It was the cold eyes that pierced through him, and it didn't take another moment to realize that he was glaring right at him. Yet his gaze was calm, calculating, and deadly, a sense of dreadfulness washed over him in an instant when he attempted to return the glare with a stare. They stayed that way, maintaining the heated eye contact for a good few second but it was so unsettling, Shoyo wanted to itch his fingers.

"Hinata." It was a great thing that Yamaguchi piped in, otherwise, Shoyo silently thanked, he was sure that he would have turned into a shivering mess under the other's nerve-wrecking stare had he not. Without a second thought, he swerved to look at his friend by face to face. "Since our classes ended for today, I think you need some rest. Want to go to a cafe together?" It was obvious that the former was concerned, with the creases shown in his forehead, and was trying to soothe him with his own way.

"No, it's fine! You go on ahead." Shoyo shook his head, flashing him a smile afterwards. "I still need to go try and find something to make a sculpture of. I have to turn in the project before the deadline. I'll be going to the library."

"Well— okay, then." Yamaguchi said, sounding unconvinced. "Don't push yourself too hard."

Shortly afterwards, the brunet left, but not without tossing another glance over his shoulders. For the sake of his safety, he reasoned, Yamaguchi could be a real worrywart at times. Reminded about the deadline of his project, only then did Shoyo finally move to head off into another direction, the earlier incident being forgotten even when he feels a chill running down his spine.

— Why do I feel like someone is watching me?


There had to be an enormous amount of books that he could find in the library as his reference. From one section to another, he kept at his pace in search of a book that sounded both intriguing and promising. He found none so far. Books, to be honest, he can't exactly find the appeal in them; he could pick one up and start to read it only to wind up not finishing it all the way end. He doesn't like the blurred lines of words imprinted on a paper and almost always in gray scale which doesn't sit too well with him. Yet, for a person like him, he found it ironic to be inside the library, and resorted to the help of the books in igniting a spark within him.

It must be the scent of papers and ink that assisted him in staying the awfully quiet place, the air conditioners whirring in the stead of absent noises. He continued to move around, now randomly picking out a book from the shelf and read the title. By now, he's not sure in which section was he in but as soon as he proceeded to another area, the very first book he pulled out, he was already drawn in by the title itself.

DOES THE ANOTHERWORLD EXIST?

"Anotherworld?" Shoyo read aloud to himself, clearly intrigued by the content. He draws the book out from its place, now scrutinizing every little bit of its detail. The book was incredibly thin, and its cover was plain, too ordinary for his taste but it didn't make the title any less interesting. Looking around, the redhead decided to read this a little bit even if there was a high chance that he might not gain anything from it for the project.

He chose to sit by a desk that was at a corner, and he instantly fished through to get to the first page. The otherworld, as he read, was a mythology in which was said to be the realm of supernatural beings and a realm of the dead. These beings are typically not visible to an ordinary human unless accompanied by tools such as a camera to help know about their existence. As such the like, a theory was soon invented, suggesting that there may be others that are also not visible to these beings' eyes, and therefore, could not be seen by a human even if they have the talent to see the stated beings. Is it possible that there may be another world that is completely hidden from our eyes and devices?

Shoyo had to pause for a moment to ponder about that. An anotherworld being that can't be seen by otherworld beings and the human realm— what? This was... quite difficult to take it all in. Pushing the thought asides, he decided that he'd later question about it and went on to read the book further.

There was already a debate that these creatures may or may not exist. It was suggested that the anotherworld beings are like the otherworld's in a sense. However unlike them, such as spirits that we have come to know, anotherworld beings cannot be captured by using any lens which could be the reason why we do not know or unsure of their existence as of now. Yet it is also possible that they do not exist, as they do not show up in the photos. There is only vague ideas about them, but few individuals had already claimed to have seen these anotherworld beings, and for a research to be conducted, they were brought in for an interview. It was later found that all these claims were false.

"But how would they know whether their claims are false?" Shoyo mumbled to himself, shaking his head a bit in disbelief.

BRR! BRR!

Shoyo flinched visibly, nearly cussing when he noticed that the sudden sound came from his bag. He reached for it, skimming through the contents and found that his phone was glowing with a notification. Hurriedly pulling it out, he clicked it open, checking the newly received message which turned out to be sent from Sugawara. 'What time will you be coming home?' The message said, and the redhead stared back at it, dumbfounded.

TO SUGAWARA: Why?

FROM SUGAWARA: Reasons. You'll see if you come home.

Shoyo pouted at the answer. Of course, it should have been expected, seeing as it was from Sugawara.

TO SUGAWARA: Okay. I'm on my way right now!

Thrusting the phone into his pocket, he was now left to stare at the book that he hasn't finished reading yet. Should heー or should he not? He's squinting his eyes, undecided if he should bring the book back with him but after few more moments of consideration, he decided not to. Besides, he doesn't have a library card that could let him borrow, to begin with.

After the book was put back into its place, Shoyo immediately rushed out of the library, remaining oblivious to the angered stares behind him as he ran. However, when almost reaching the familiar scenery, he slowed down to a walk, his eyes trying to find what he's expecting. And he did, he found what he was trying to find; incidents prior to event flashing through his mind causing him to stand in a still, distinctively remembering that Yamaguchi didn't see the person that he saw earlier.

As expected, the guy was still there, in the same position as before and honestly, Shoyo found it completely unnerving. Hands trembling, he pulled out his phone once more, his thumb skillfully swiping through the screen as he presses to open the camera application. He goes to try and click for a picture but there isn't any need for him, what was happening right before his eyes was real but he didn't want to believe just yet. And so, he took the picture.

However unlike them, such as spirits that we have come to know, anotherworld beings cannot be captured by using any lens which could be the reason why we do not know or unsure of their existence as of now. The words rang in his head.

He had taken a picture of the said person.

And then he feels the hair on his back standing up, with hands trembling violently than ever as his eyes widened like a pan of saucers. The picture that he took ofー that person wasn't in the picture he had taken. At all. Just like how he didn't appear in the camera before even taking the picture.


Now, Shoyo was not exactly a type of person to be interested in things related to supernatural, especially ghosts; it was never in his forte. He had always been scared when it came down to these things, and he feared the darkness because it felt like someone— an another entity— was watching him without his knowledge. In other words, Shoyo, although he had quite a big fortitude to strive and win, was a coward in a sense.

He felt the gush of wind passing him by as he runs all the way back home, he feels his heart thrumming, pounding, heavily against his chest and the only thing he could hear was his own ragged breath.

That must have explained it, that had to be why Yamaguchi couldn't see that— that thing. But why? Of all people, why did it have to be him?

As soon as Shoyo reached the doorstep to his temporary home, he found himself being nearly knocked out of his breath. His chest heaved heavily, and he was shaking violently like a cowered cat, but he tried his damnest to regain his composure. He's not sure what to do now that he acquired a certain piece of information but most of all, he's not sure what to do if he sees him again when he practically sees him everyday in the same spot. He rose from his knees, taking in a shaky inhale before he turned the knob to the door. Hopefully, whatever Sugawara had in store for him to come home would help to put his mind to ease.

But what came next was something that he definitely did not expect, not from Sugawara or anyone in the house for that matter.

"— SURPRISE!"

A loud pop resonated into the air as Shoyo found himself being showered underneath colorful strings and sprinkles. His initial fear forgotten, it was soon replaced by a sense of wonder and amazement, and when he sees that his friends were hoarding him in a circle with a cake, party hats on heads and smiles on their lips greeting him, Shoyo couldn't help but break out into a wide grin.

"Happy birthday, Shoyo! You're officially an adult now!" Nishinoya was the first to rush to him with the greeting, and patted on his back a bit too hard. Nishinoya, whom was older although shorter than him, was someone that Shoyo quickly learned to look up to asides from his other seniors. He was noisy, as how Sugawara mentioned in the first day of him moving, but that was simply one of his charms.

"Hey, why do you look so pale? Saw a ghost or something, Shoyo? Or did we surprise you too much?" Teased the shorter male, but little did he know, the former was actually quite true.

In an attempt of forgetting what happened, Shoyo nodded his head a bit too vigorously. "Wait! It's my birthday?! You remembered it was my birthday?" He muttered in disbelief ( genuinely, this time ) realization seeping in that the reason why Sugawara had messaged for him to come home was none other than to throw him a surprise party.

"Your birthday is on the twenty-first of June, right? Don't tell me that you forgot your own birthday." Tanaka chuckled, joining in at his side before looping an arm around his neck.

"I did! I actually forgot that it was my birthday today." Shoyo retaliated, flailing around his arms.

"Well, what do you know? That's the first sign to adulthood." Sugawara cheekily replied.

"Can you blow the candles already, I'm tired." Tsukishima said, clearly disinterested in the party that they were having.

Shoyo stuck out a tongue at the taller male. "Oh, shut up! You're just jealous that I got a cake for my birthday and you didn't!"

"Actually," Yamaguchi cuts in with a shy smile, "Tsukishima was the one who bought the birthday cake for you, Hinata. Remember when you asked me why I wasn't with him today?"

"... Hold on. Wait? What?! S-seriously?!"


He was back in his workplace again, a slice of cake on plate settling by the side of the table as his birthday's reminder.

Shoyo smiled upon listening to the voicemail messages sent to him from his family and friends back at home, accompanied by few images where they held a birthday celebration with him together. He was suddenly filled by a sense of longing, various of emotions rushing in him all at once. Reluctantly, he had to put his phone away, knowing full well that this was not the time to be emotional otherwise, he would never be able to start his work.

With a courtesy of his loving family and friends, Shoyo was able to find an inspiration once again. Fortunately, tomorrow was a weekday for them and therefore, he could stay up as long as he needed to make up for the time he lost until he felt satisfied. Eyes looking back and forth from the sketch he jotted down and his current progress of his sculpture, his fingers glided smoothly around the clay; pinching, patting, pressing, and then at some point, there were tools he picked up in order to make a few corrections.

He stomps off to the restroom quickly, rinsing his tools before he could continue his work. Only when the redhead looked into his mirror then did he realize that he still had his scarf on; he tugged on it, regardless of his wet hand, and tossed it atop of the towel rack before looking back into the mirror, momentarily forgetting of what he would see once the piece of cloth no longer covered it. And he frowns, pausing in his actions, because there, he noticed the little blue bud has begun to bloom as well.

"W-w-what?" He spluttered at the sight of the other flower bud. It was blooming? But Shoyo craned his neck and leaned forward to check the his soulmate mark, his frown deepening some more because the orange flower— was slightly wilting, its color fading and needless to say, the discovery came as another one of the surprises for today. What ever happened to the orange little blossom? Yelping in surprise, Shoyo stepped back for a couple of few times with a hand flying up to rub at his skin. It wasn't long until he rushed off with the tools he needed to use, the door to the restroom shut closed behind him and today's another discovery shoved into the back of his mind. Right now, he needed to focus on getting his project done. Yes, that's all he needed to focus on if he wanted to be one of the greatest sculptors of all times.

Yet, later on, his mind did not reciprocate with his heart. He made a lot of mistakes, and that meant it'd take a longer time for him to continue. At this rate, not even a cup of coffee would help to keep him awake. Enraptured in the moment of conjuring his thoughts, nonetheless, he would find his mind seamlessly wandering back to the events that happened today.

Anotherworld. An anotherworld being. And his ever so mysterious soulmate mark.

Shoyo could only hope that he'd be able to finish his assignment in time.