Chapter Text
Side by side with them, I entered the big stage for a four-minute performance of a song that would ultimately decide the fate of my life–whether I would lose and die on the spot, or if I would win and continue to the next round, though that comes at the cost of my opponent’s life. I turned my head towards my opponent, their pink hair really matching with the pink dress they’re wearing, white bowtie tied around their waist. They looked back at me, I smiled as a reply, and sang the first line of our song, titled My Clematis.
“Oh my clematis, hope bloomed through the abyss” My voice was trembling, but I managed to adapt quickly and sang the other half of my line smoothly.
“Oh my clematis, always be by my side.” Their voice was trembling and I can do nothing but to smile at them, trying to silently remind them that we can go through this together. We just have to sing this one song, and it will all be over.
“You bloomed from the huge black wall,” Their voice is trembling less than last time. I smiled at her and continue singing, just as the thousands of judges currently watching us wish.
“The galactic stardust spread out in your eyes.”
“In the endless darkness, I find you with your scent.” They sang, the stage’s background color turning pink, Mizuki’s signature color. Although nearly all of their current personality, their current stage branding–how Mizuki liked pink, how Mizuki liked dressing effeminately (they still do even to this day) caused them to be a target of bullying back during their time in Anakt Garden, now it was their whole branding and how their alien owner got them sponsors and various brand deals pre-ALIEN STAGE. I was similar to Mizuki back in their childhood days in terms of not fitting in with their peers. I spends a lot of his time tinkering and playing with whatever objects he can play with. One random day I found out that if you fill the same glass with different quantities of liquid and hit it with a spoon, the vibration can make sounds of different pitches. Only Nene and Mizuki listened to me rambling about it, and only Mizuki helped me steal a bunch of wine glasses from the canteen storage and fill them with water to help me make a glass xylophone. I sometimes wish that Nene was there to witness the invention of the century.
Anyways, it’s time for me to sing my next line, and I can’t afford to lose just because I forgot to sing my lines, right?
“Even if I fall asleep for eternity, don’t leave my side.” I sang, and after this, it’s time for us to harmonize.
“Oh my clematis, hope bloomed through the abyss.” Mizuki and I are both standing face to face, their lips curving upwards and their eyes’ gaze set on me as we harmonize our voices.
“Oh my clematis, please stay by my side.” During this line, it seems like everything is going well. Mizuki’s voice combined with mine really makes an amazing combo. Then, it was time for the interlude of this song. A big scoreboard displaying both of our faces with numbers beneath them appears above us, indicating the time for score calculation. Bullets of sweat start falling down my cheeks. I never performed on a stage this big, and so did Mizuki. God, I never knew it was going to be pretty hot here. I started observing Mizuki’s body too. I walked closer to Mizuki and held their hand, and yes, it was sweating too. Thinking about Mizuki, my mind recalls a conversation we had back a few years ago during our time in Anakt Garden.
It was on the rooftop of the main building. I was skipping classes because the lecturer was boring, and I found Mizuki sitting alone on the rooftop. I sat myself next to them. They noticed my presence and moved sideways to make room, despite this place already having more than enough space for us to sit side by side.
“What are you doing here, Mizuki-kun? It’s still class period.” I initiated the conversation.
“I could ask the same to you. What are you doing here?”
“You got me. I was skipping class.” I looked at the fake blue sky above us, the one thay made to replicate earth’s sky, humanity’s motherland. Where human life first begun, where humans originally live. I remember reading about it in a restricted library he found while snooping around skipping classes.
“Mizuki, do you believe in god?” I turned my head towards their face and asked them.
“Eh, what’s with the sudden question?” I sighed, looking up at the sky but covering my eyes due to the sunlight piercing my eyes. Thankfully the sun here isn’t as strong as the real sun they used to had on earth.
“Once upon a time, mankind believed in god and had religion.” I don’t know if the things I read in the library are true, but when I think about it, the idea calms the heart. I then continued yapping.
“They believe that things that cannot be solved by human strength are the will of God.” To be able to believe in something, even when all odds stack against you, to believe that someone with a higher power, residing in a different plane of existence is looking after us, that even the greatest of problems are part of God’s plan for the better, I admire my ancestors for that.
“They believed that the entire universe revolved around the earth, they thought that the place that connected with the sky, which they could not dare to reach was the place where the gods lived.” I continued. They finally looked at me, and replied.
“But… I don’t think that’s the case anymore, right? The aliens came down from the sky… from where people thought the gods they were worshipping reside, just to take everything away from us. That’s… what you told me…” Their voice started shaking. I put my hand over theirs and started rubbing circles on it while continuing my story.
“To believe in god, to want to believe in something, it’s human nature.” Just like how I believe in her, although I did not say that out loud. I then continue my little speech,
“And from the moment the aliens took away humanity, we all forgot about God.” Mizuki then gripped my hand real hard, although not hard enough to cause any pain. We broke our eye contact for a moment, then our eyes locked again and they smiled at me, their expression indicating that they had something to say.
“So, to believe in god is a normal thing. To believe in something that will give you a piece of mind whenever it feels like the whole world is against you is human nature, right, Rui?” Mizuki’s other hand reached up to my free one and held it.
“Then, I believe in you. My god, my universe.” They said with tears falling down their cheek, also pulling me into a hug. I was surprised because Mizuki usually was never one to show physical affection to anyone. I slowly put my arms around their back, returning the hug.
Blood splattered from Mizuki’s neck, and at that moment, I remembered for the second time that this was not your usual singing show, but a survival singing show. I yelled out their name and rushed over to them putting my hands on their shoulder. They started crying although they couldn’t bring themself to scream from the pain. I could only hug them and let them cry, before the inevitable moment comes where they had no longer the strength to continue standing still, to cry, or to even breathe. The aliens are screaming, some cheering for my victory and some crying for Mizuki’s defeat and death, but I care not for those voices. I hug them tighter, but I know their legs are shaking.
Mizuki then looked up to my face, her eyes red due to the crying and her make up a little bit ruined. They smile at me, with what I think was the most genuine smile they ever showed at least to me.
“My god… my universe…” Mizuki said as she fell once again and I fell down to my knees with her as her heartbeat slows down, before inevitably coming to a stop. With my head filled with nothing but thoughts of what just happened, I sang my last line, which was given to the winner of the round.
“Oh my clematis, please stay by my side…”
Above us, a big scoreboard showing “86-87” which then transitioned into “RUI WIN” was displayed for everyone to see.