Rating: T
Warnings: OOCness, kind of cheesy and fluffy, OCs
Disclaimer: Whims of Anime does not own No. 6. They belong to their respectful owners. Please support the official release.
Beta: None
Dedication: To nezushijustwantstobefree. Happy Birthday!
Anime: Happy birthday to nezushijustwantstobefree! This is the first oneshot I originally planned to release this summer. Then the pandemic happened, I lost writing inspiration and my Word crashed. Luckily, this oneshot was completed before then and I can release it. I hope you enjoy this Soulmate AU!
Tangled on the Red Thread
Nezumi Aiwana grew up with stories about the red string of fate. His parents loved to tell him and his sisters about the story of how their threads had appeared. His father had gotten a job as a baker in the mall complex his mother had been a florist at. Their strings had appeared as his father had parked on the mall and his mother had been arranging some flowers. The two had rushed forward, following their strings, before meeting each other.
It was beautiful and simple. That was how the red string of fate worked, insuring that you would be happy together with the love that was destined for you.
It was a dream come true.
Except that didn't always happen.
The world was huge. Not everyone met their intended soul mate in their lifetimes. After all, your soulmate could be on another part of the planet. Nezumi heard of a story where an elderly Japanese woman died before meeting her soulmate. Her soulmate had been an Egyptian ambassador that realized this when, by chance, she passed through the funeral parlor.
Nezumi didn't want to end up like that. He didn't want to live the rest of his life alone without love. He wanted to see the world for that reason. He didn't know how he would be able to, what with his middle-class status, until one of his sisters, Tori, suggested he used his singing talents for it.
Nezumi loved to sing. He had a great talent for it, something several adults had told him when he was younger and in the choir. He just didn't think he'd be able to make it big or have a career from it. It wasn't until his eldest sister Hebi uploaded one of his street performances in ELYRIS and it gained one million views that the singer route became an option for him.
An option of him to follow his dreams and find a way to meet his intended soulmate.
Nezumi didn't have an idea of how his soulmate would be like. Whether it was a boy or girl didn't matter to him. Their nationality and job and income didn't matter. So long as that person was someone that could accept Nezumi, he would be happy with that person. He wanted that day to come soon.
The dreams to become a singer and his desire to meet his soulmate was why Nezumi was standing outside the talent agency NO.6, holding his notes and guitar. He was here to audition and try to make it big in the music industry. He had asked his sisters to not come with him because he knew how they'd be like if they had come.
The thought made a chill run down his spine.
Taking a deep breath, Nezumi entered the building.
Red
Shion Hanayome grew up with stories about the red string of fate. His parents had told him about how they had met during the set of a movie. His father had been a singer that had to do some work for the soundtrack and his mother had been the leading actress. It was a huge splash in show business when Karan Suijin and Sora Hanayome were tied by the red string of fate.
Karan Suijin was the great-granddaughter of legendary movie director Takahiro Suijin. Takahiro Suijin had filmed the most successful movie of Japan's history that had even won several awards internationally. Takahiro's son, Masahiro, became an A-list actor around that time, also gaining international fame outside of Japan. The Suijin family had become something akin to royalty in the movie business since, their soulmates being movie directors, actors or actresses.
On the other hand, Sora Hanayome was the grandson of Shiro Hanayome, a famous singer known as genius, and Tsubasa Ottoki, an equally famous CEO of the technological Ottoki Corp. Their child, Yume Hanayome, had their soulmate in the ballerina Aoi Akuhime, who gained infamy for her lead role in Swan Lake and Reunion Comes.
To say that people were talking about Karan and Sora's matchup was an understatement. It was like the union of two royal families. Shion was born into such a family legacy. He'd been born with a silver spoon, a secure lifestyle and with a range of career options. His birth had also been celebrated in celebrity magazines and news outlets throughout Japan.
He gained the nickname the Crown Flower of the Garden when he was born. It was a play on his name and his status as the only son of Karan Suijin and Sora Hanayome.
However, because of his family name, he was monitored by the paparazzi to see who his chosen soulmate would be. There were several theories about which entertainer or high-end businessperson would be his intended. It honestly tired Shion out.
Shion sighed, leaving the eighth appointment of the day. His grandparents had made it a chore searching for his fated love. He would meet with prominent heiresses, CEOs, actors, directors, singers, musicians and anyone from a long line of importance. It was getting tiresome waiting for the string to appear on his way to the meeting.
He was getting tired of hoping that one of the many prospective suitors would be his soulmate. He was tired of hoping. He was becoming disillusioned. Perhaps he didn't have a soulmate and he was doomed to be alone.
He hoped not.
Shion lifted the black face mask further up while making sure his white hair was covered. He had some business in NO.6, across the street from the meeting place. His father was working on a new song while his mother was going to help judge in the auditions today. He would wait with them before going home. He would not be the one to tell his grandparents that another arrangement failed.
Shion entered NO.6, unaware of the red string wrapped around his left pinky.
String
Nezumi was nervous. He was strumming his guitar absentmindedly, thinking about the upcoming audition. He sighed, hearing Karan Hanayome talking to the auditioning actors and talents. How worrisome. A famous actress would be a judge in the panel. He was worried he wouldn't have what it takes to make it further in the auditions.
"What are you sighing about?"
Nezumi looked up at the voice and almost balked. Sora Hanayome was looking down at him, smiling softly. Nezumi didn't know what to say. Sora was one of the most famous singers in their country! He'd sang several of his songs to practice his skills. He looked down, unable to speak.
"Nervous, huh?"
Nezumi nodded, "Yes."
"Well," Sora started as he sat down next to him, "I think you should be fine. After all, your rendition of Elyurias' Kaze no Requiem was beautiful."
Nezumi looked up, "You heard it?"
He knew his song cover was viewed by millions of people but to have Sora Hanayome hear it made him feel more self-conscious about his skills. Maybe he should've brought Hebi or Tori along for support after all.
"Of course. My wife was gushing about your performance," Sora grinned, "Of course I had to watch it. I was almost moved to tears. I haven't heard anyone sing Kaze no Requiem as well as Elyurias, but you did it."
"Th-Thank you." Nezumi said.
Sora was about to say something when he paused. He smiled, "I think today really is your lucky day, young man."
"Eh?"
Sora lifted his hand and pointed at his pinky. Nezumi's eyes widened before he looked at his own hand. There was red thread wrapped around his right pinky, glowing brightly. He looked around, hoping to see if anyone else nearby had the red string. When he didn't, he got up from his seat.
"What are you waiting for?" Sora asked, grabbing his guitar, "Go find them."
Without a second thought, Nezumi ran out of the room.
Of
Shion was in the elevator when he saw the red string in the reflection. He gasped, lifting his left hand and seeing the fated string. He stopped the elevator in the fifth floor, anxiously waiting for the doors to open. When they did, Shion rushed out of the elevator.
He could see the string was leading him down. He rapidly headed to the stairs, still staring at his finger. People tried to talk to him but seemed to stop when they saw the red string. It was an untold thing to not interrupt someone when their string appeared.
Shion was in the second floor when he failed to see someone running towards him, also distracted. He gave out a yell of surprise as he fell back. The other person gave out a groan of pain as they also fell. Both of them stayed groaning in pain for a while.
"Sorry," Shion said, getting up, "But I'm in a hurry-."
"So am I." The other said as he got up.
The two stood and faced each other. Shion came face to face with a boy around his age with messy shoulder-length slate hair and the most beautiful eyes he'd ever seen. They were gray, almost silver, with a beauty that took Shion's breath away. Shion lowered his gaze and gasped. The red string of fate was tied to the boy's right pinky finger.
"I've been wanting to meet you all my life."
Fate
Nezumi couldn't stop staring at the boy he had bumped into. He had white hair despite his youth with sharp red eyes. He couldn't stop looking back at Nezumi and he felt nervous. He must look so frazzled as he searched for his destined soulmate.
The boy's gaze lowered, and he gasped. Nezumi looked at his finger to see his string and he could see that the boy also had a red string. The string that was connected with his.
No way.
"I've been wanting to meet you all my life."
Nezumi looked up. The boy was grinning, slowly lifting his hand. Nezumi lifted his own and the two met halfway, holding their hands. The red string glowed and Nezumi could feel his heart soar. His soulmate had been here. It was almost impossible.
"My name is Nezumi. Nezumi Aiwana."
The boy smiled and Nezumi felt as if he was stuck in a dream he didn't want to wake up from. He tightened his hold on Nezumi.
"Hello, Nezumi. I'm Shion Hanayome."
Reality hit him like a brick.
"You're-. Oh, the audition!" Nezumi yelled, "My guitar, your dad!"
"What about my dad?" Shion asked before he gasped, "The auditions are starting! You're going to-?"
Nezumi nodded, "I have to go."
Shion linked their fingers together, "Then let's go!"
Shion led them back to the audition stage. Nezumi looked at the back of the boy who was his soulmate and smiled. Even if he didn't do well in the auditions today, he was still happy. Because he was still holding the hand of the person he was destined to be with.
He'd worry about everything else later.
Connection
Anime: I hope you guys really enjoyed this oneshot. If it gets enough love, I might expand it to a short fic. Because the Red String of Fate is a complicated thing. Once again, happy birthday, nezushijustwantstobefree!
Stay safe, wear a mask and Black Lives Matter