Soulmates | Itafushi ✓

11 - candy

* * *

School had just ended. 

Yuuji was waiting for Megumi outside of the photography room, which was Yuuji's fourth period class, because Megumi said that he would meet him up there and then they'd hang out together. 

Yuuji debated asking Megumi about what he had heard from Ichika and Himari's conversation in class. Are the rumors true? Okkotsu-senpai is Megumi's ex-boyfriend? So that's the real reason he wants them to fake date? 

And he also wanted to ask about the whole soulmate thing. If Megumi and Okkotsu-senpai were soulmates, then why did Megumi break up with him? If they were soulmates, then why does Megumi want to avoid him so much?

But he remembered what Megumi told him when they first agreed to go out. To not ask about any rumors and just ignore them. So he decided not to say anything for now. 

"Yuuji!" Megumi called out. Megumi walked towards him. And then they left the school together.

This time, they went to a candy shop for their after school date. The candy shop was vibrant and exuberant, almost like you were walking through a giant rainbow. There was a giant lollipop near the back of the store, but it was only there for decoration.

Megumi had brought him here because Yuuji heard that this candy shop was famous, especially for their lollipops. Megumi ended up buying him a whole bag of candy, and then they sat down at a table. Megumi didn't buy any candy for himself however and just got some coffee. 

Yuuji started the conversation. "So I guess this whole soulmate thing is a big deal. Even though I don't know anything about it."

Megumi stopped drinking his coffee. He knew that Yuuji lived in the country side, but did he really not know about soulmates? 

"You don't know what soulmates are? Are you for real?" Megumi asked. "Even kids know about soulmates! You basically learn about it when you're in elementary, the same time you learn about division and multiplication!"

"Oh..." Yuuji said, embarrassed that he didn't know about basic knowledge like that. "Well the thing is, I was homeschooled for almost all of my life back when I lived in the country side. I didn't even have friends my age, since we lived so far away from everyone else. So, um, yeah."

"I guess you really do live under a rock." Megumi commented.

Megumi went on. "It's pretty much self explanatory. A soulmate is a person you are destined to be with. The tale goes that the goddess blessed humanity with the ability to have a soulmate, so that was how it came to be. It's basically when two people have to love each other no matter what. Someone who your soul longs for." Megumi was disgusted at having to explain it, especially since it was just a repetition of what he heard from people all his life. 

"Wow, so  everyone has a soulmate?" Yuuji asked.

"Not everyone," Megumi clarified. "Only the so-called chosen people who are blessed with it do. Basically only people with a soul mark. I can't believe you really don't know this stuff. Your parents never mentioned it at all?"

"Maybe they did, once or twice." Yuuji thought about it. "It probably wasn't that important to them. I don't think they believe in stuff like that. Like how they don't believe in a god or goddess."

"Even with the soul marks and all the evidence?" Megumi asked.

"Yeah" Yuuji confirmed. "I think they were deniers." He remembered that his parents were very secular. 

"Looks like I have something in common with your parents," Megumi mumbled, quiet enough so that Yuuji didn't hear

"But having a soulmate sounds very romantic!" Yuuji exclaimed. "Having someone you're destined to be with forever. Like you were made for each other."