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It was a pleasant change of scenery when Hayato found himself in a museum with his usual group. The museum itself wasn’t in Makochi, they took a short train ride to a neighboring town since the holidays were quite long. Lone dark crimson eye proceeded to observe his fellow peers across the room, Sakura was trying to make sense of a statue with Tsugeura, Nirei was jolting down the various facts he’s learning with a quiet Sugishita by his side, and then there’s—
“Suo-chan!”
—ever the social butterfly, Kiryu. The pink haired boy skipped towards the eyepatch boy with a bright smile. “What are you looking at?” Hayato pointed at the modest size canvas in front of him. “This painting, it’s quite lovely.”
Vibrant colors using oil paint were present from every corner of the painting, quite the impressive talent to capture the hues and details. He wondered if the painter got their sleeves wet from dipping it into wet paint. The said painting consists of an enclosed glass gazebo, its walls were made of beautiful stained glass which resulted in fractured colorful lights. Inside, there was a tea party— filled with various pastries and stunning tableware. Hayato could stare at the tea cups and saucers for it was so incredibly detailed, one glance wouldn’t do it any justice.
Yet the more Hayato stared at it, the more he noticed how the painting felt… distant. He wasn’t sure what prompted him to think in such a way but now, the boy can’t seem to shake this weird feeling away. Was it the fact there wasn’t any presence of a life? A grand event would indicate a huge crowd however not a single living being in sight. Upon closer inspection, there wasn’t anything that indicated an entrance or exit. It’s fully enclosed with no way to enter and leave?
The eyepatch boy noticed one other thing, there were also branches of Paulownia tomentosa near the teapot, he wondered what they could mean. Actually, the brunette’s seen those very branches multiple times in some of the artist’s work and often next to a tea set, how peculiar. Hayato pushed those thoughts aside to focus back on his fellow classmate.
“Ooo~ Whoever did this piece knows what they’re doing,” Kiryu leaned forward slightly to look at the details. Something about his words tugged the same foreign feeling from before in Hayato’s chest. He couldn’t pinpoint exactly what it was but if he had to guess… it felt hollow. As if the piercing adorned boy’s words were taken from a script and not from the heart. Was he reading too much into it? Perhaps, yet he couldn’t help himself.
Shaking those thoughts away, Hayato continued the conversation. “Have you seen their artwork before, Kiryu-kun?” He saw how for just a split second, the pink haired boy tensed up before facing him. How strange… “Mhm, they've been on the front page a few times.”
Right, articles picked up on this mysterious artist. EmeraldRadiance they call themselves, a name one would hear or see online. The eyepatch boy may not know a lot about art but if you’re able to feel emotions from simply looking, then he certainly doesn’t feel many positive emotions from the artist’s works. Don’t get him wrong, all of their works are beautiful no matter the subject. In fact, Hayato has taken a liking to their stunning masterpieces. However, it almost seemed like EmeraldRadiance didn’t create them out of their soul. Ah, that null feeling from earlier is present for the third time. Hayato is sure now, these stunning paintings weren’t born out of passion— rather by obligation.
“Indeed, I wish there was a chance I could meet them!” The brunette smiled but his lone eye saw how the gears in Kiryu’s head started to turn. With a smile, Hayato pointed towards the rest of the group. “Shall we make sure Sakura-kun and Sugishita-kun don’t end up bickering near the fragile exhibit?”
After their little trip, everyone took the train back to Makochi so they could rest. Hayato really needed to wind down so he was glad everyone decided to call the day off. The brunette was sipping on a cup of tea, letting his mind relax. The peace was short lived as his phone started buzzing in his pocket. Strange, who would be reaching out all of a sudden?
Unknown Number
xxx
meet me in the playground ૮₍ ´ ꒳ `₎ა
Hayato felt himself blink once, twice, before reading the message again. Who in the world had his number and texted such a thing. Perhaps the other person got the wrong number, that has to be the reason. I’ll simply notify them of the misunderstanding, he thought to himself before typing.
Me
Pardon me, I believe you have the wrong number.
That should do it. Though, not even a second later he got a response back from the other party.
xxx
whoops i used the wrong account
but ur smart enough to figure it out~
Now Hayato was even more confused. The way they’re texting implies that they know the brunette yet he didn’t have a single clue who they are. He hasn’t warrant anything to cause a number exchange nor has he given it to someone else. So it couldn’t be an outside party, did this mean it’s someone from his inner circle? Why would any of them reach out to him using a different number?
Me
… I’m sorry, do I know you?
xxx
dont tell me u forgot ໒꒰˵- ˕ -˵꒱১
ur the one who wanted to meet up~
A slow realization came to the boy as he remembered the words he said during the museum trip. Could it be… A gasp escaped Hayato as it clicked who this mysterious sender was. How utterly slow of me to not notice who they were, he thought before taking a coat and slipping away towards the designated location.
The sun had long set, leaving dark skies and the gentle glow of the moon. It took awhile for the brunette to reach the location. A layer of sweat formed on Hayato since he rushed as fast as he could. Catching his breath, the brunette found himself at the playground, trying to find his little messenger. It didn’t take long to see the very person he suspected, sitting on the swing.
“Fancy seeing you tonight, Kiryu-kun.”
The said person jolted slightly, “S-suo-chan! Geez, don’t sneak up on people like that.” They pouted and Hayato had to mentally pinch himself to focus. “Hm? That wasn’t my intention, I assure you.” It was absolutely my intention, this is payback, Kiryu-kun.
A sigh came from the pink haired boy, “Whatever you say.” He gestured towards the other swing, “I’m sure you know what we’re here for, yeah?” The brunette hummed, “Perhaps I do. Though, I believe it’s better to hear it from the source.” Kiryu chuckled, “That’s fair. Then let’s do this properly.”
“Kiryu Mitsuki otherwise known as EmeraldRadiance. But I’m sure you know that already, right, Suo-chan~”
Hayato couldn’t help but chuckle, “I didn’t think you’d confirm it. Why the sudden change of heart?” Lone dark crimson eye saw how Kiryu huffed and kicked the ground to gain momentum. “Seriously, you forgot your own words, huh.” It wasn’t like the pink haired boy took offense, everyone knew how much the brunette likes to tease his peers. The eyepatch boy’s smile never faded as he also mirrored the other party, his swing swayed higher.
“It’s because I trust you, Suo-chan.”
If Hayato wasn’t gripping on the chains, he would’ve fallen head first and kissed the ground. His single eye widened, nothing could prepare him for those words to come out of the other’s mouth. “I’m flattered, Kiryu-kun,” his voice impossibly soft, “I wonder if your trust has something to do with your creations.” The other party tilted his head, “Sorry?”
“A majority of your painting, you often draw landscapes or backgrounds. I cannot help but notice the presence of a certain thing not far from a tea set, branches of Paulownia tomentosa. That’s part of your name, no?”
Kiryu’s breath hitched, Hayato knew he was on the right track. “Yeah, it is,” the piercing adorned boy confirmed. “My family’s full of painters and they expected no less from me.” Green eyes kept their gaze on the ground, “They expect the entire bloodline to just do fancy still paintings when that’s not what I wanna draw, not even close…”
Ah, the expectations when all eyes are on you. Looks like the hollow and distant feeling the brunette felt earlier in the day wasn’t just his imagination. Hayato couldn’t help but feel sympathy towards their situation. “My condolences, Kiryu-kun. Though, pardon my curiosity, I recall you said you couldn’t create any art on our first day of school.”
“It was a lie, sorry for doing that to you guys.” A sigh escaped him, “I just… didn’t want to be ‘that kid from a family of painters’ so I hid all of it.” They stayed in silence for a bit, Hayato giving Kiryu some space.
“... Promise you won’t tell anyone else about this?” A hum sounded from the eyepatch boy, “Of course. Not a single soul will know until you’re ready.” A strained chuckle then sounded from the pink haired boy, “Thanks, Suo-chan.”
“You know, it’s funny, huh.” The piercing adorned boy smiled bitterly, “I call myself EmeraldRadiance yet there’s nothing about me that screams it—”
A gasp escaped Kiryu when he saw the brunette in front of him, a determined gaze present on his face. “Apologies for scaring you,” Hayato gently held the other’s shoulder, “However, I must stop your line of thought because it’s simply false. If anything, it’s precisely why I adore your name so much.” Pink blossomed on Kiryu’s cheeks at his admission, “W-which name..?” Must you ask, the eyepatch boy smiled before softening his gaze.
“Everything. The name the world knows you as well as my favorite, simply Kiryu Mitsuki.”
A whine escaped the other party, hiding their face from how sincere the brunette’s words were. “Suo-chan… It makes me happy that you like it so much.”
Hayato could melt from the boy before him. How he adored those green eyes shone so brightly under the moonlight, just like a pair of emerald stones. It serves as such a beautiful contrast to his soft pink locks. Is this how an artist views colors? I believe I’m starting to understand.
"Is that a confession, Kiryu-kun? Just like how often you seem to paint yourself near a tea set?" The effect is immediate as the other party choked on a laugh. "Geez, Suo-chan! I'm being serious here."
"And so am I." He took their hands and he could feel the calluses along Kiryu's skin, most notably his middle and ring finger which was caused by holding a paintbrush for too long. Absent-mindedly, he ran through their delicate fingers that created so many masterpieces. I wish I am able to do this more often, to soothe your worries away. "Would you allow me to be selfish and ask if you can stay?"
"Gosh, what am I gonna do with you," the pink haired boy chuckled, "Then please take care of me, Suo-chan.”
Hayato may not fully grasp the world of art, but he's certain his world just became far more colorful than ever before.