Chapter 1
"I've finally found you, my prince. Our bond has guided me to you after so many years! I promise you, our love will not be separated anymore, for I will never let you go again!"
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…
…
For a few seconds, Kuroko's mind remained blank. The sudden surprise short-circuited the wires in his brain, rendering him unable to process the current situation. Who is this person? Why is he hugging him? Why does this stranger know him? Whoever they are, they are now swinging him around as if they were reunited lovers, which finally get the cogs in Kuroko's brain working again.
"A-Ano…"
The person stops swinging him around, just seconds away from making him sick.
"Who are you?"
Kuroko maintained his composure as the person loosens his grip on his smaller body, but not letting go, as if surprised by that question. Kuroko looks up, and soon, it is his turn to be (inwardly) surprised to see widened (and saddened?) emerald green eyes staring back at him.
He knows who this person is…
"My prince…" the person mutters, "…so even after so long, you still don't remember me."
Kuroko stared blankly back. His mind threatens to short-circuit again. There hugging him and gazing almost mournfully at him, was Cecil Aijima, member of the hit idol boy-band, STARISH.
"I always believed my love for you and our bond will help you remember. But was it not enough?"
Surprise gave way to confusion for Kuroko. Just what is Cecil talking about? What prince? Is he referring to him – plain, unassuming Kuroko Tetsuya whom almost no one notices? And why is Cecil claiming that he loves him? For heavens' sake, he has never even met the tanned idol before! What is going on?!
"Cecil! Unhand him!"
Before Kuroko could utter another word to express his confusion, a shout reached his ears. A barrage of footsteps followed. The next thing the tealnette knew, two pairs of hands wrench him from Cecil's grasp. His vision of what was happening was suddenly obscured by two bodies, while shouts that he recognizes as Cecil's pierce from behind the human wall protecting him.
"W-What are you doing?! He's my prince!"
"What nonsense are you talking about?! You're harassing a complete stranger!"
"He's not a stranger! He just doesn't remember me!"
Kuroko recognized those voices. They are…
"Hey, are you alright?"
Kuroko turns to the person who asked him the question. Jinguji Ren was facing him, concern gracing his handsome features. The person standing on Kuroko's right also turns to face him.
"My apologies." Hijirikawa Masato said, "It must have been really unexpected for you to be suddenly harassed by Aijima-san."
Kuroko doesn't respond. His gaze falls behind Ren and Masato. The remaining members of STARISH and their composer, Nanami Haruka, were holding back a struggling Cecil from reaching him.
STARISH…every one of them are here. They are all either standing in front of him or just a few paces away. One of Japan's biggest names in the entertainment industry are in the same playground with him.
What the hell…is going on?
Kuroko's mind went into overdrive trying to find an answer, resulting in a system overload that blew out all the wiring in his brain. As his mind shut down, so too did all coordination within his body. Kuroko's vision blurred, and his legs gave out. Amidst the shouting, STARISH only realized something was wrong was when Kuroko keeled over, and landed with a loud thud against the ground.
"My prince!"
"Cecil?"
"Hm? What is it, Nathaniel?"
"What's that your reading?"
"It's a book of fairytales my mother gave to me."
"Can I see? Can I see?"
"Sure! Sit next to me, and we can read together!"
…
…
"Wow! The prince is so handsome!"
"He is, right?"
…
…
"Cecil?"
"Yeah?"
"May I be your prince?"
"As long as I get to be your prince, Nathaniel."
"Yahoo! I'm Cecil's prince!"
…
…
…
'…Ugh…'
All Kuroko saw was black. He can't tell where he is, but he knew that he was no longer at the playground. What sounded like the distant, almost inaudible echo of busy traffic and the sound of incoherent shuffling emanate not far from his ears. He feels something plush underneath his body, soft over his front, and something cold and damp over his forehead.
Kuroko willed his brain to start functioning properly, to clear up his vision to allow himself to see where he ended up. Bit by bit, his visual image sharpens from blurriness. The first thing he sees, is a ceiling, with spotlight lamps shining gently down.
'What…?'
"Oh! You're awake!"
Kuroko slowly turns his head to the voice. Two people come into his field of vision, one with red hair and the other with pink hair, male and female respectively.
"How are you feeling?" asks the redhead.
It takes a moment for Kuroko's restarting brain to process the identities of the two people sitting by what appeared to be a bed that he is laying upon. He doesn't shout out in surprise or scoot away in shock, that would have been too clichéd.
"Could have been better, Ittoki-san, Nanami-san."
Kuroko slowly shifted himself into sitting position, hand pulling the damp object, which turned out to be a cloth, from his forehead. He takes a good look around, noting his presence within someone's bedroom.
"How did I end up here? Where am I?"
"You fainted, Kuroko-kun." Haruka replied, "We brought you here back to our hotel suite to help you recover."
"I see…" the tealnette trailed off, "I apologize for the trouble."
"No need to apologize, Kuroko." Otoya dismissed, "We're just glad to see that you're okay. Besides, you must have been spooked real bad when Cecil suddenly hugged you out of the blue."
The mention of the tanned idol's name kick-started Kuroko's thought process. Otoya and Haruka were momentarily stunned as Kuroko looked about frantically.
"Aijima-san! Where is he?"
"Calm down, I think he's still outside in the sitting room." Otoya put a hand on Kuroko's shoulder, "Last time I saw him, he was getting a lecture by Hijirikawa about harassing strangers."
"…And the flute I was holding?"
"Flute?" Haruka responded, "I think Natsuki-kun took it with him when we left the playground."
"Ah, in that case…" Kuroko pushed the quilt away, "May I have it back?"
"Is it yours?" Otoya asks.
"I…don't know." Kuroko admits, "This may sound absurd, but the flute just appeared at my feet when I was at the playground. And…when I think about it now, I think the flute has got something to do with Aijima-san appearing out of nowhere and hugging the life out of me."
Another few seconds of silence follows. Kuroko scans the faces of Otoya and Haruka, looking for any signs of disbelief. He finds none, which doesn't mean anything for him, but if he is certain about something, is that they did look deep in thought.
"Well, I'm not sure what to believe." Otoya admits, "But I think we should go ask Cecil for his side of the story."
"That sounds like a good idea." Kuroko nods, "But, one request, can I ensure that Aijima-san will not glomp me again?"
"I think the others will stop him if he tries." Haruka replies.
With the reassurance for his personal space, Kuroko was helped off the bed by Haruka and Otoya. After steadying himself and taking a few trial steps, Kuroko determined that he has the strength to walk. With that, the trio head for the door, and Otoya opened it.
Kuroko immediately noted that they are entering what must be the sitting area, which he realizes to be quite large - several soft, leather couches and love-seats half-encircling a glass coffee table, with a large plasma TV not to far away. There is a spiral staircase which Kuroko guesses must lead to other bedrooms and bathrooms. There is a dining area with a dry counter and a doorway to what he guesses is the kitchen. All of the lights are on, including the large crystal chandelier dangling over the sitting area, which is where Kuroko's attention is quickly drawn to.
Taking up most of the space on the couches, are the remaining members of STARISH. Ren and Masato take up a love-seat, Tokiya and Syo take up the other, while Natsuki and Cecil are sitting on the largest couch. As Otoya expected, Natsuki had the flute, holding it out to Cecil who seemed to be deep in thought, staring at the said instrument.
"Ano…sumimasen."
Kuroko's words snap the six idols' attention towards him, and as usual he notices that a few of them, particularly Natsuki and Syo, flinch at his sudden presence. He then notices Cecil's emerald eyes light up, and he instinctively takes a step back when the tanned idol jumps up from the couch, a slight jolt crackling from his birthmark. Thankfully, Masato sends Cecil a disapproving look when he tried to run up to Kuroko. The tealnette watches Cecil's expression fall into hurt confusion, and Masato shake his head. Cecil appears to get the silent message, and returns to his spot on the couch.
"Hey, are you feeling better?" Syo asks, breaking the first blossoms of tension in the air.
"I'm feeling much better now, thank you for your concern, Kurusu-san." Kuroko acknowledged, before turning to the rest of the room and bowing, "And I am very appreciative of everyone's help in bringing me here to recover. I apologize for the inconvenience caused."
"You don't need to apologize." Masato stands up, "We just did what was needed to ensure your wellbeing."
Kuroko lets out a breath, and straightens up.
"I forgot that most of you do not know who I am." the tealnette continues when he straightens up, "My name is Kuroko Tetsuya, and it is a pleasure and honor to meet you all."
The greeting is returned with cordiality. Despite already knowing their names, Kuroko is introduced to the remaining members of STARISH. Cecil at first looked confused at Kuroko's name. But once again looked desperate to pull the tealnette into his arms again, but was held back by Natsuki. Once Masato allowed the tealnette to sit down next to Ren, and Haruka squeezes herself next to Cecil, the real talking begins.
"The question I have for everybody, though I think perhaps this applies more to Aijima-san," Kuroko eyes the tanned idol, who is returned a hopeful glint from those emerald green eyes, "Does anyone know anything about the flute?"
All eyes turn to Cecil, who responds in a heartbeat.
"The flute has symbolic meaning in my home country, Agnapolis." Cecil begins, "A long passed-down legend is that when the Muse created music for the ancestors of my people, the first instrument she created is the flute. And through the ages, the flute has become a symbol of love between partners, because it is said that whenever one plays their flute, the music that comes is a unique symbol of their love for the other."
"But how does that explain you running off like that when we were wrapping up our fan meet?" Tokiya questioned.
"I heard the music of my destined beloved." Cecil's eyes became slightly glassy with tears, "I felt it in my heart," the tanned idol placed a hand on his chest, over the spot where his tattoo laid, Kuroko noted. "I followed to where the bond led me, and I heard the music coming from the flute that Nathaniel was playing."
A few moments of silence follow. Eyebrows raise, mouths quirk in confusion. Nobody expected that unfamiliar name to pop up out of nowhere. The rest of STARISH turn to Kuroko, assuming that was who Cecil was referring to. Only, Kuroko had the same matching confused expression as them.
"Aijima-san," Kuroko began, "why are you calling me Nathaniel? I already told you, my name is Kuroko Tetsuya."
"But the flute you possess." Cecil countered, "It belonged to my destined love, Prince Nathaniel. My father presented the flute to him when he was a baby! It became a symbol of our bond and our love! He never left it out of his sight, not even when he…"
Cecil stopped abruptly. The confusion everyone else had only increased as they watched the tanned prince look down, his fringe hiding his eyes. Even so, everyone noticed a few quivers vibrate through Cecil's body, before he raised his eyes to meet Kuroko's.
"But that doesn't matter! The flute was in your hands when I heard the song and felt the bond that had all but disappeared for almost ten years! My heart always said that no matter where he was, Nathaniel always had the flute with him. You possess the flute, so you must be Nathaniel!"
"I never had the flute in my possession at all in my life!" Kuroko countered, both hands raised, "I already told Nanami-san and Ittoki-san, but the flute just appeared out of nowhere at my feet at the playground. And when I picked it up, it started to glow white in color. I don't know how it happened, but I found myself playing the flute. I had no conscious move to play it!"
A few seconds of silence followed as everyone digests the information. Kuroko was near certain that none of them will believe him, and it is expected, when he was the only one present to have witnessed the event.
"Well, without concrete proof, we can't just take Kuroko-kun's words at face-value." Tokiya remarks, before turning to the tealnette, "Sorry about that."
"It's okay, Ichinose-san." Kuroko waves his hand, "I didn't expect anyone to believe me anyway."
"But there must be some way to test Kuro-chan's words!" Natsuki butts in, "Maybe he can try playing it again?"
STARISH glances at each other, considering the bespectacled blonde's words. After a second of deliberation, they come to a conclusion.
"Alright then!" Otoya proclaims, "We'll see how well Kuroko-kun can play the flute."
The tealnette nodded in obligation. He gets up from the love-seat, and Natsuki hands him the flute. He makes his way to a spot in front of the plasma TV, and readies himself. To be honest, he is feeling rather nervous again, what with eight pairs of eyes staring at him instead of an empty playground like the night before. Nonetheless, he takes a deep breath, empties his mind, and brings the flute to his lips.
The first note that comes out…was an absolutely off-key scream that barely counts as a note. Everyone flinches at the unholy sound, and Kuroko swears he hears something shatter somewhere in the suite.
"Gomen, that was my bad." Kuroko pulled the flute away, "I'll try again."
Despite the bad start, no one has any objections. Kuroko takes another breath, and was about to take another shot at another note, when all over, his mind is suddenly filled with images.
He suddenly sees the young child from his dream the night before, especially those bright emerald-green eyes. He felt light, like his soul was leaving his physical body. Unbeknownst to him, his birthmark had begun to glow again, radiating a tingling feeling that raced through his nerves. And just like back in the park, all his thoughts melt away as the flute glows white, before spreading to his entire form. Kuroko brought the flute to his lips, and proceeds to stun the idol band and composer in front of him.
Harmonies, melodies and rhythms, as if strung together beautifully by the Muse herself, flutters and swirls around Kuroko and the room. Like butterflies emerging from cocoons, his inner emotions were formed into the notes and flown into the ears of his audience. The story he weaves and brings forth, are of blank canvases and a tiny splattering of hope for the future, but also the grim cloud that still hangs over him. All the time, Kuroko's eyes remain closed, and his expression blank. His logic and rationality have shut down, giving way for his heart to conduct the story and how the music is played.
Finally, the music fades into nothingness. Kuroko opens his eyes, and pulls the flute from his lips. He glances at his audience, calmly taking in the stunned expressions, wide eyes and ajar mouths that grace the members and composer of STARISH.
"You…you…"
All eyes turn to Cecil, his eyes shimmering and lips quivering slightly.
"You are truly my bonded love! You are indeed Nathaniel!"
This time, no one managed to stop Cecil in time from leaping off the sofa, dashing over and sweeping Kuroko up in another bone-crushing hug. This time though, Kuroko merely blinked as he was squeezed tightly, the flute slipping from his fingers and dropping with a clink onto the marble floor.
"Ano…Aijima-san?"
At the mention of his family name, Cecil stopped suffocating the tealnette.
"Listen, I don't know how to wrap my head around this." Kuroko continued, "I still have no idea why you still call me your prince, since I am pretty sure that we only just met today. And I certainly don't know why you are calling me Nathaniel. Also, I don't know anything about the flute, or what it was apparently doing to me, making my heart tingle and light-headed."
Kuroko inwardly winced at the look of sadness and hurt that floods across Cecil's face, but he pushed on, to find some sort of middle ground in this situation.
"However, I know this isn't just delusional rubbish. I believe that everything has a grain of truth in them, and that everything happens for a reason, especially the events that happened tonight. Maybe it is just something that I don't remember at this point. I don't know. But for now, until we have more answers, why don't we go back to the beginning?"
Cecil's hands loosen from Kuroko's form, allowing the latter to step back.
"As my grandmother once told me, the start of a good relationship must be civility and respect. So Aijima-san, until we can sort this whole thing out, why don't we begin as friends?"
Kuroko let a small smile form on his lips, as he raised a hand in offering. Cecil stared at the shorter boy for a little longer. While the sadness was still present, the tanned idol forced through a smile, and gently took Kuroko's hand into his larger one.
"Hai, let's be friends, Na- I mean…Kuroko-kun."
Hey everyone. Hope everyone's having a great day. I really hope you enjoyed the chapter.
I would like to thank the guest who had left a review. To be honest, I was really glad to receive it, as I have felt that my writing hasn't been good these few days. I really appreciate the feedback :)
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This is SilentGhostWriter2017, have a good evening.
6/30/2018 Update - Hey everyone, this is SilentGhostWriter2017. I put a hiatus on this story in order to fix up any grammatical mistakes, edits to sentences, and to add some story details to give it more substance and content to go by in future chapters. Thank you for your patience.