Disclaimer: I don't own Phantom of the Opera, or Sekaiichi Hatsukoi.
"Ricchan, Ricchan! Mino - he's dead!"
The brunette boy blinked, suddenly wide awake, and he glanced down at the teary-eyed Kisa, "I... What, Kisa-san?"
Kisa's head nodded, though he didn't respond aside from that, sniffling, and Ritsu panicked for a moment.
"Wh-what, Kisa-san, I don't..." he grabbed for the noirette's hand, beginning to pull him out in the hallway to find Hatori, though Kisa yanked back.
"N-no, Ricchan, you don't understand..."
"Kisa-san..."
Kisa gave another tug on Ritsu's hand, closing the door before the brunette boy could run off, and he hesitated, "Ricchan, Ricchan...! Mino was... hung... during the ballet..."
Ritsu hesitated for a moment, this scene seeming all-to-familiar, and after a moment he nodded in response.
"Oh... Kisa-san... You mean Joseph Buquet..."
"I don't know who that is, Ricchan!" barked the editor suddenly, and Ritsu cringed, nodding his head.
"It's... the stagehand who died, Kisa-san. Not Mino."
Kisa tensed, shaking his head, "But it looked exactly like Mino, Ricchan!"
Ritsu sighed, nodding his head, "I... I know, Kisa-san. It's not, though. Mino-san's fine, I promise, Kisa-san."
Kisa stared at the newbie editor for a moment, before slowly nodded. "Ricchan... Did... it happen in your dream too?"
Ritsu gave a start, before nodding with a sigh, "Ano... Yes, Kisa-san. But... Buquet wasn't Mino."
Kisa nodded once again, and made it clear he wasn't leaving this room anytime soon by sitting down on the foot of Ritsu's bed. "Oh... Ano... Who was he in yours...?"
Ritsu hesitated, sitting down besides the noirette, "Yuu... Yanase, isn't that his name? Yoshino-san's friend?"
Kisa nodded, "I think so."
"I don't know why I imagined him. It's not like I actually know him or anything."
Kisa nodded along with him, and was turning to say something else when there was a knock on the door.
"Onodera-san, is Kisa-san in there?..."
Kisa hesitated, glancing up at the door, and answered for Ritsu, "Ano... Yeah, Yukina-san, I'm in here. How did you know?..."
There was a pause on the other side of the door, before he responded with, "Oh... I'd already stopped by Senbo-sensei's room, and you weren't there, so..."
Kisa scoffed, before sighing and standing, "I wouldn't be in her room, Yukina, I get enough of her during the day."
There was a chuckle, though he didn't respond, Kisa giving a wave to Ritsu before going out in the hallway to meet Yukina. As soon as his door shut, Ritsu gave a groan and fell back down onto his bed, and, with the thoughts of Kisa's dream running around in his head, it took him about another hour to fall back asleep.
Hatori's hands pulled at the laces of Ritsu's dress, and the opera star gave a tiny gasp in protest of how tight his corset was, though aside from that did not object. The baggy red sleeves drooped off his shoulders, and when he made no move to fix this, the tiny dancer at his side did, giving the somber boy a small smile.
"Ricchan... Come on, you've got this." Kisa's hands lifted up the brunette's chin, "He's not going to hurt you... You know that."
Ritsu gave a slow nod, pulling his chin out of the man's grasp however, Hatori's hands adjusting his skirt. Kisa gave a sigh in response, squeezing the boy's hand once as the music from Yukina's band crescendo-ed by the stage, "Ricchan - I've got to go, I'm going to miss my cue..." Another squeeze, "I'll see you after the opera, alright?"
Ritsu again nodded, not bothering with words as Kisa left for the stage, indeed almost missing his cue as the percussionists played. Hatori turned the boy around as the dancer left, pulling up those sleeves once again that had fallen from his shoulders.
"Are you ready, Onodera-san?" he asked, taking a rose from the vanity the star sat at - seeing the black ribbon wrapped around it, he gave a worried noise before quickly pulling it off before Ritsu could see, turning back to the tinier brunette, who nodded, for once speaking.
"... Yes, Hatori-san, I'm ready."
The ballet mister nodded, tucking the flower into the boy's hair after ridding it of thorns, his hair done in a similar fashion to the dancers, "Very well. Come on, Onodera-san."
Ritsu took his hand, picking his skirts up as they walked slowly towards the curtains; when Ritsu saw Kirishima disappear behind the curtains of the bed, he began singing even though Hatori had not yet escorted him to their assigned spot, wanting to get this over and done with.
"No thoughts within her head, but those of joy! No dreams within her heart, but those of love!"
Hatori glanced down at the opera star and gave a sigh, Passarino replying from his spot onstage, "Master?.."
Passarino was called back from the canopy Kirishima had disappeared behind, "Passarino - go away! For the trap is set and waits for its prey..."
The man playing Passarino nodded, leaving as well, and at that Ritsu let go of Hatori's hand, walking onstage to take Passarino's place. His hand reached up and self-consciously pulled the sleeve back up on his shoulder, Ritsu's shadow being cast onto the red and black decorations of the play, the torches throwing light on him and the dancers in back. He threw a glance around hesitantly, his eyes meeting with Kisa's, who had woven his way backstage to stand by Hatori, before he cautiously sat down where he was called too, hand reaching up to touch the petals of the flower in his hair, Kisa slowly doing the same.
"You have come here
in pursuit of
your deepest urge,
in pursuit of
that wish,
which till now
has been silent...
silent..."
Ritsu hesitated at the voice, glancing over his shoulder as Don Juan exited from behind the canopied bed, a cloak thrown over his shoulders. That voice...
"I have brought you,
that our passions
may fuse and merge -
in your mind
you've already
succumbed to me
dropped all defenses
completely succumbed to me -
now you are here with me:
no second thoughts,
you've decided...
decided..."
An ebony mask hid his face, though Ritsu could see those piercing hazel eyes, and he slowly stood.
"Past the point
of no return -
no backward glances:
the games we've played
till now are at
an end...
Past all thought
of "if" or "when" -
no use resisting:
abandon thought,
and let the dream
descend..."
Kisa started from his trasfixation on the stage, about to dart out to Ritsu when Hatori placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed; the boy glared up to the ballet mister, though it faded when he saw the way Hatori stared out onstage, the hand not on Kisa's shoulder clenched in a fist.
"What raging fire
shall flood the soul?
What rich desire
unlocks its door?
What sweet seduction
lies before
us...?"
A gloved hand was placed on Ritsu's hip, pulling him closer, into the chest of the tall man as he sang. Everybody stared, hypnotized at the sight onstage, and the opera star was no exception; hands traveled down his exposed shoulder and arm, clasping his hand.
"Past the point
of no return,
the final threshold -
what warm,
unspoken secrets
will we learn?
Beyond the point
of no return..."
Ritsu suddenly pulled away, eyes glancing to the audience, suddenly aware of all those eyes that suddenly looked judgmental to him. He once again pulled up the sleeve of his dress, eyes turning from the man to the crowd in front of him.
"You have brought me
to that moment
where words run dry,
to that moment
where speech
disappears
into silence...
silence..."
An was the only one not staring at the stage, throwing a fit up in her box, demanding for someone to finally awake from their hypnosis and kill that damned man.
"I have come here,
hardly knowing
the reason why...
In my mind,
I've already
imagined our
bodies entwining
defenseless and silent -
and now I am
here with you:
no second thoughts-"
Ryuichiro started, awoken by the girl in the box next to the managers', and he shook Kaoru from the play before them. The higher manager stood, the lower one still sitting, rubbing his temples as Ryuichiro returned with the hired marksman.
"I've decided...
decided..."
The music slowly picked up speed, Yukina directing his band without looking at them.
"Past the point
of no return -
no going back now!
Our passion-play
has now, at last,
begun...
Past all thought
of right or wrong -
one final question:
how long should we
two wait, before
we're one...?"
This time, it was Ritsu who slowly approached the man, hands clasped in front of his stomach.
"When will the blood
begin to race,
the sleeping bud
burst into bloom?
When will the flames,
at last, consume
us...?"
The man met the star have way, Ritsu outstretching a hand that he took - he was once again pulled into the man's chest, the dancers behind them mimicking this as their voices mixed.
"Past the point
of no return
the final threshold!
The bridge
is crossed, so stand
and watch it burn...
We've passed the point
of no return..."
The music slowed down once again; Kisa reached down and clutched onto Hatori's hand at the ritardando. The man took Ritsu's face in his hands, while Ritsu's did the same, resting on his cheek, staying silent while the man took over.
"Say you'll share with
me one love, one lifetime...
Lead me, save me
from my solitude..."
The man pulled away, slipping his glove from one hand - a ring was held out to the opera star, who removed his hands from his face to slowly take it from the man's hands, sliding it on his own finger.
"Say you want me
with you,
here beside you...
Anywhere you go
let me go too -
Ritsu,
that's all I ask of-"
The man was cut off - Ritsu reached up, pulling the mask from his face against the cries from offstage; he closed his eyes quickly, expecting to get struck, though when nothing came, he hesitantly opened his eyes.
And... there was nothing wrong.
What.
Hazel eyes glared down at the brunette from underneath exceptionally loud eyelashes that Ritsu blushed at, pale skin, unblemished, and high cheekbones. The boy hesitated, taking an unsure step back at that menacing look, and when he did that the band got curious, ignoring their conductor and turning in their seats to take a look at the stage.
The Phantom drew his cloak round the opera star, and they disappeared as Kisa ran onstage, followed by the two managers and the Vicomtesse. Kisa's teeth clenched, and he looked wildly around the stage before stomping over to the canopied bed - it was the only logical explanation as to where they could go - and he drew open its curtains.
He stumbled back with a scream, and Hatori ran onto the stage before Yukina could to see what was wrong. There, propped up against the bed, was Kirishima passed out, head tilted back. Kaoru and Ryuichiro gathered around the bed, eyes wide as Yokozawa stormed onstage as well, the audience thrown into confusion.
"What are you all doing? Out of my way!" he commanded, and Ryuichiro panicked as Kaoru walked over to the bed.
"Monsieur... Please..." We're ruined...
Yokozawa however paid the manager no mind, shoving him out of his way, though when he saw the tenor against the bed he back up as well, azure eyes wide.
"Oh... Oh, god..." Suddenly the soprano wheeled to his manager, tears collecting in the corners of his eyes, reminiscent of the night of Il Muto, "This is all your fault! You and that little daydreamer's! If it wasn't for her this damn Phantom would of never come to this house! How dare you! How dare you-"
Kaoru spoke up, interrupting the Wild Horse mid-rant, "Monsieur - Monsieur, please! He has a pulse!"
The man hesitated, turning back to the bed and blinked, stepping towards them and gently grabbed hold of the tenor's wrist, and when he felt his pulse beating indeed tears fell freely from his eyes, that he tried to wipe away with his sleeve.
"Madame," Hatori offered a hand to An, and she hesitated, glancing up from the soprano and tenor to the ballet mister, "Come with me... I can show you where they've gone..."
The girl hesitated, taking his hand slowly, "How can I trust you?..."
The ballet mister however didn't respond, Kisa cutting him off, "I'll come with you!"
Hatori gently pushed the dancer back, "No, Kisa. Go with Yukina. I'll be back soon."
The man pulled the Victomesse away before Kisa could reply.
I love Past the Point of No Return almost as much as I love Kisa. And that's a lot.
Mino didn't die! xD
loopyhutton: xD
hiyokocchi: Don't worry! xD
nekocandy4candy: ;D Wellll... Just kidding! :3 You'll figure it out next chapter! :D
NinjaSheik: I've never read the book, either! I've only found it at one library so far around me and I couldn't get it D:
Also! I will be gone for a few days; the next chapter will most likely be up the 29th, at the latest!