Selfish, ah, how selfish he could be towards the guy who needed help from a friend. Riku knew his lack of emotions could ruin the whole show for IDOLiSH6. Why did he ever agree to that? Did he only want to try something 'fun'? He was supposed to be there for them, not to fulfil his own desire.
His heart was beating so quickly that he felt light-headed. Even after years of rigorous training he had been put through, nervousness managed to best Riku. Once he got off a taxi in front of the filming studio, he was greeted by Takanashi Tsumugi.
"K-k-k-k-kujou-san, thank ywou so much for helping us out." The poor lady was so nervous she couldn't seem to pronounce anything right. She also was not sure if she should be relieved or worried by the fact that Riku was there without his manager.
"Thank you for having me." Riku bowed, unsure of what else he should say. He soon followed Tsumugi inside. The two did not say anything to each other. Tsumugi was too stiff to do anything about the awkward silence, and Riku's head was empty. Good thing it didn't take long for them to get to the filming area.
"Everyone." Tsumugi opened the door and proceeded to announce the guest's arrival. "Kujou Riku-san is here!"
The idols stopped whatever they were doing and turned their heads towards a single direction.
"My God! It IS him!" Nagi was the first to shout. "It is Kujou Riku!"
"Kujou R-" Riku paused in the middle of his self-introduction. Damn. He wondered why he found the presence of several people intimidating. "Riku." Riku bowed to the idols gathering around him. "Looking forward to working with you." His eyes locked on Iori when he stood back up. Thump. Thump. He felt like his heart was going to burst out of his chest. Why would a living doll like him be so nervous? Iori's sharp gaze reminded him of his adoptive father's. The high school centre possessed a commanding presence. Pressure. That was it. Riku felt pressured since he had to perform this task without fail.
"Kujou-san" Like a warrior, Iori stepped forward, ready to order his underling to charge. "I hope you're ready to start." He then turned to Tsumugi. "Manager, are all the scripts modified?"
"Y-yes, here!" Tsumugi handed it over to Riku, who took it gently.
"W-wait, Iori." Riku's heart sank as he flipped through the scripts. The texts described the setting of each scene, including some loose dialogue and the direction the talk was going. That meant nothing to Kujou Riku. He could memorise all of it in no time, but he would not know how to act. "I've never done a talk show before!"
Iori narrowed his eyes. It was as he feared: a guy not used to having feelings couldn't possibly act without specific instructions. Iori at least anticipated that Riku would be uncomfortable taking on this job. Hmm. He went into a deep-thinking mode. Riku was innocent and naive, but he wasn't totally oblivious. In fact, him being so concerned about other people must mean he could at least read the room. "You can at least tell how people feel by looking at them, right?"
Riku nodded. In fact, he was pretty good at it. He could also vaguely tell how people felt by listening to their tones of voice, even though he did not understand those feelings.
"Good." Iori smiled for the first time today.
Somehow, Riku could feel his heartbeat slowing down just by looking at it.
"Then please memorise the script. When we do our first rehearsal, pay attention to how we react to the topic or the question. There are 6 of us, and Nii-san is the MC, so each of us will react differently." Iori paused to make sure Riku followed. "As long as you try to match the tone and expression of any of us, you'll do just fine, Kujou-san." He placed his hand gently on Riku's right shoulder and squeezed it reassuringly.
"Understood." Riku returned to his puppet mode as he began to thoroughly study the script.
Meanwhile, the rest of the I6 members were watching the two boys having their discussion.
"What are they talking about?" Tamaki couldn't understand at all. He turned to Sougo, who was also just as lost.
"I didn't know they were close." Mitsuki was in awe. Riku was on a first-name basis with his little brother, and Iori sounded like he was ordering Riku around.
"Oi, Mitsu," Yamato whispered. "He must be that guy."
Mitsuki's eyes widened. Kujou? The mysterious 'girlfriend' Iori had been texting? While that would explain their closeness, he had many questions he wanted to ask his little brother. Why had Iori never said he was acquainted with Riku?
———####################################————
"Ahahahaha!"
Incredible. The members of I6 were surprised by how quickly Riku learned everything in a few hours' time. After giving the solo idol his feedback and pointers here and there, he would perfect it on his next run. No one would ever know he was putting on an act, considering how natural he seemed. When the others laughed, he laughed with them. The director of the show was very pleased to work with Riku. His responsibility did not end there, though.
"So after this talk section here..." Sougo was going over the last part of the script. "Instead of TRIGGER, Kujou-san will perform 'Perfection Gimmick' with us."
"Whoa, hold it right there." Yamato quickly noticed the problem. "We practised with TRIGGER several times before. You're saying we have to figure out new formations and stuff in less than half a day?"
"Can't we sing two separate songs?" Mitsuki asked Tsumugi, who stood right behind him.
The girl shook her head. "I'm afraid we don't have enough time for two songs."
While the others were arguing, Riku thought of the day we went to the collaboration concert. He remembered being jealous. He remembered wanting to stand on stage alongside I6 and TRIGGER, smiling and connecting with the fans. Well, that was his wish, anyway. Whether he could do it or not was an entirely different matter. Could he lose himself in a song with a lighter, happier tone? Could he smile at the fans while singing? Could he make them smile by doing so? Well, Riku did not come this far to give up. Firmly, he said, "I'll do it." He wanted to do it. He wanted to change. The only other thing that bothered Riku was his health condition. No doubt, the practice would be intense when they only had a few hours to perfect their performance.
"Right, let's do it!" Seeing how determined Riku appeared to be, I6 members decided they could not give up either.
———####################################————
"Ha... ha..."
After 2 hours of non-stop training, breathing became more difficult for Kujou Riku. He sat in the corner during the much-needed break, drawing in as much air as he could.
"Kujou-san," Iori noticed that Riku was struggling. "Let's get you outside." He helped Riku up while the others were having their water break. Once they got out of the room, Iori ran off somewhere, leaving the redhead on the bench on his own. The redhead used his inhaler, hoping the pain in his chest would go away soon. A few seconds later, Iori returned with a small bottle of canned oxygen in his hand. "Here, use this." Gasping for air, Riku took it and used it straight away.
"Thanks, Iori." Fortunately, it didn't take long for Riku to feel better. "How did...?"
"I suspected your condition is chronic," Iori remembered a pile of medicine on Riku's table the day they first met. He stared at the exhausted boy. "Honestly though, I didn't expect it to be this severe when you're an idol."
Riku shook his head. "I'm used to it." He spoke, earning a look of disbelief from Iori. "But Iori-"
"I know." Iori knew exactly what Riku was going to say. "I won't tell anyone."
———####################################————
Finally, the camera started rolling. IDOLiSH6 members were the first to appear live on TV. They sat in a half-circle formation, with the centre, Iori, and the MC, Mitsuki, sitting nearest to the camera.
"Hello everyone and welcome to our first 'Kimi to IDOLiSH6 Night!'" Mitsuki started the show by energetically greeting the fans watching at home.
"We are very excited about getting our own show." Iori expressed his feelings reservedly.
The members talked for a bit until the staff behind the camera gave Nagi his cue. "Everyone, since this is our first ever episode, let's make it SPECIAL!" He shouted, perhaps a tad bit too overexcited.
Yamato then expanded on that point. "Yes, of course! A very special guest is joining us tonight. Let us welcome..." He paused for everyone to join in. "Kujou Riku!"
Knowing he would be doing this show for people watching from home, Riku couldn't help feeling a little more excited. Just for tonight, he would allow this excitement to stay in his heart. Without knowing it himself, that little bud of positivity made a small smile appear on his face, and he looked charming wearing it. Riku walked into the scene from the side, waving at the camera.
The live comments on social media suddenly exploded. The fans typed all sorts of things, expressing their surprise. They went, "OMG KUJOU RIKU!" or "No way!". Some even did a keyboard smash like "DID KUJOU RIKU JUST SMILE? I CANT ASDFGHJKL-!"
"Let's see..." It was time for the boys to answer random questions. This part of the show couldn't be scripted, so Iori prayed that it would go smoothly. Mitsuki plunged his hand into a box full of folded paper. Once he managed to grab one, he pulled it out and unfolded it to read its content. "IDOLiSH6 is separated into 3 subunits: the Pythagoras trio, the MEZZO duo, and Iori who goes solo. There are 6 of you, so why didn't you guys just pair up?"
Yamato was the first to have a go. "That's a good question. Onii-san doesn't even know how to answer." Okay, he didn't really have his go.
"I agree this is a difficult question." Sougo smiled. "I thought you'd pair up with your brother, Iori-kun."
"Well, I was going to..." Iori looked away from the camera, feeling embarrassed by the answer he had in his mind. "But Nii-san went ahead and picked Nikaido-san."
The show had been running for quite a while. By that time, Riku had gotten a little more comfortable. "Poor Iori." He spoke straightforwardly. "I'd pick you though."
"K-Kujou-san, what are you saying!?!" Iori was caught completely off guard. How could Riku say such a thing with those expressionless eyes of his? It was TOO CUTE. He went as red as a beet. The live comment section exploded once again.
Moments flew by, and finally, it was time for the performance. The director gave Mitsuki a signal. "Ah, look at the time! We're gonna have to say goodbye to our fans soon." The other boys acted disappointed. Nagi appeared very convincing with those droopy eyes.
"Hold up." Riku interrupted. "You can't possibly invite me here and don't let me sing."
Yamato sneered. "Oh? Trying to steal our scene, Kujou? That's bold of you."
"You can't tell me to leave without singing one of your songs." He turned to face the camera. "Right, everyone?" He winked, probably killing half of the fans watching out there. Even though his amber eyes appeared lifeless, he smiled, allowing the excitement to overcome him.
While the lights were dimmed out, the staff hurried to the scene and dragged the chairs and tables away. As Iori took the centre of the stage, 3 idols formed a diagonal line on each side of him. From the camera screen, Riku could be seen standing to the left, at the back.
Fire, I would need you to stop burning for now, Riku thought. Right now, I must be one with IDOLiSH6. Just this once... just this once, I'd like to shine in the light, to be where people can reach me. Without fail, the solo idol matched the dance style of the I6 boys, toning down his usual sharp, intense movements so that he wouldn't stand out. He gave Iori the spotlight he deserved.
Or so Riku thought.
The instant Riku opened his mouth to sing, he attracted the attention of the boys around him.
The short solo part he sang went by quickly, but the boys swore they could feel a magnetic pull from Riku. They thought his voice was crisp and clear. Did Riku hold back during practice? They wondered. The magnetic effect took place again once they came together to sing the chorus. Riku's sweetly unique voice gave the usual harmony that final touch they never knew they needed. That voice was the last piece of the jigsaw needed to complete the puzzle.
Let it ring. This warmth, this light... go on, may this stained rose bloom and scatter its petals of joy! Riku embraced the blissfulness he got from being with his new friends. It was the fuel for his vocal power. So this is joy. Go on. Paint this smile on my face. Paint it red so that I can reach them.
Iori wished he could keep that last puzzle piece forever. Ah, how he wished to continue working his magic so that the puppet would keep breathing life. He prayed so that Riku would not forget his blindingly glittering soul, his true self.
———####################################————
"That was a fantastic performance, everyone!" Tsumugi ran to I6 members as soon as the camera stopped rolling. Her eyes glistened. Happy tears wouldn't stop rolling down her face. "We got a lot more views than we expected. You all shone so brightly!"
"And Kujou-san, we couldn't have pulled it off without you. Thank you ever so much!" She and her idols turned to face Riku before bowing to him.
"It's alright." Even though the whole event was hectic, stressful, and tiring, Riku could say he had the most enjoyable time of his life. He smiled gently. "I enjoyed it."
"Ho." Tamaki stared at Riku's face. "So you can smile too, huh?"
"Eh?" Riku tilted his head in confusion.
"Tamaki-kun!" Sougo panicked. "You're being rude!"
"But Sou-chan, Rikkun never smiled like this before." Tamaki pointed at Riku's face.
"Whoa, Tama's right," Yamato exclaimed out loud.
Iori was astonished by the sight before him. Large, doll-like amber eyes shimmered in a way no one had ever seen before, not even Riku himself. They added much more meaning to the soft smile he had. Beautiful. Iori stared in awe. The slumbering soul inside Riku had finally awakened. He could glance at them forever. The puppet finally began to walk on his own. How beautiful!
"So Ichi..." Yamato wrapped his arm around Iori's shoulder while the boy was spacing out. "This is the guy you've been texting, huh?"
"Holy- yeah! Gosh, Iori. You've been texting him out of all people!?" Mitsuki put his arm on top of Yamato's, weighting his little brother down.
"Is this true, Iori-kun?" Not believing what he was hearing, Sougo squeezed Tamaki's hand out of suspense.
"Ow ow ow, Sou-chan. You're crushing my hand. Sou-chan...!" The boy squirmed in pain. Sougo didn't seem to hear him at all.
"It seems my playtime's over," Riku muttered under his breath. While Iori was surrounded by his teammates, the solo idol quietly left the venue into the darkness where he should belong.
"Hmm. Where's Kujou-shi?" After a few minutes of chatting away, Nagi noticed that Riku had disappeared.
Yamato looked around him. "That's weird. He was here just a minute ago." He shook his head.
Iori's eyes widened. Suddenly, he was hit with a strong feeling of dread. Why did Kujou leave without saying anything? Iori hadn't even thanked him properly yet. Acting purely on his instinct, he grabbed his coat and bolted out of the room, hoping Riku had not gone too far yet.
"Kujou-san!" Luckily, he caught the redhead standing not too far from the studio entrance. He seemed to be staring at the moon. The icy prince paused when he saw the reflection of the moonlight on the corner of Riku's left eye. "Are you crying?"
"Iori, you're lucky to be surrounded by kind people," Riku spoke without turning to face Iori. "I hope you will continue to grow together with them."
"What are you saying?" Iori feared the worst. He didn't like where this conversation was going.
"I am a living doll, Iori. A puppet without a will." Finally, he showed his teary face to Iori. "But I want to live in the world you are living in, a world where it isn't a crime to feel." All of a sudden, he grabbed Iori's triceps and pulled the boy into a hug. "I went against my father's order openly this time, and so I must pay for my sin." Through the bitterness, he sobbed.
Iori cursed. How could he bring pain to the very person he wanted to protect? Did he show Riku the world of light so that he would pull him into the void once again? Feeling guilty for thinking only of himself and his idol group, he hugged Riku back tightly. "Ku-Riku, I am sorry."
'I regret nothing, Iori' was what Riku wanted to say, but couldn't bring himself to say it. He didn't regret his decision, no. He only doubted if he could bring himself back to a world where no one could reach his heart. This happiness, Riku wished he would never forget.
Iori pulled away from the hug and reached his hand into his coat pocket. "Kujou-san, here." Iori pushed the keychain into Riku's hand. "The souvenir from Okinawa." He knew full well that Riku was saying goodbye. Or rather, the living Riku was saying goodbye.
"Thank you, Iori." Riku accepted the gift, and before they parted, he placed a gentle kiss on Iori's cheek. Finally, he whispered, "And goodbye." before disappearing into the darkness.
———####################################————
And that was Kimi to I6 Night! Hope you lovely ppl enjoyed reading about that event with a bit of fluff XD
Some chapter notes- forgot to mention in previous chpater but the 'stimulation' part that Iori spoke was from Tenn who said it in canon. Can't remember how he said it exactly, but yeah, you get the idea.- that part when Mitsuki pulled a folded paper was inspired by rabbitube box challenge
Well then, until next time~!