A lavish looking black car drove away, becoming smaller and smaller as it went off in the distance.
A boy ran after the car with all his might, pushing himself past his limit and not caring about his breathing problems. But alas, his efforts were all in vain as he could no longer see the car.
"*cough* Tenn-nii...!"
The cold night breeze sent shivers down his spine. No matter how loud he yelled or how much he cried, his voice was never heard, "Tenn-nii! *cough* Don't leave me...!"
Nanase Riku, a cheerful young boy who unfortunately has asthma. When Riku was younger, he was healthy but as he grew older, they found out he had asthma. He has, had, an older brother, his beloved twin brother, Nanase Tenn. Ever since they were young, they were inseparable, or that's what they thought.
It was already dark outside when they noticed the black car pull up in front of the livehouse their parents own. Business has continued to go downhill and on this particular night, it was close too which confused the red head.
His brother insisted he check outside and told him to stay inside, but Riku was stubborn and followed him outside.
"Shall we go now, Tenn?" A man stepped out of the car.
Riku had a bad feeling and didn't like the man very much. He held on to his brother's hand but was let go of as his brother stepped forward and left with the man.
Despite desperately chasing after the car, he couldn't catch up and collapsed on the ground. His vision soon becomes a blur and darkens.
"Tenn...nii..."
The next thing he knew, he was warm again but the familiar stench of the hospital was lingering. The constant beeping from the heart rate monitor confirmed his theory of being sent to the hospital again. When he opened his eyes, it was dark outside but he wasn't sure how long he had been unconscious for.
Aside from that, he could hear the soft whimpering of a foreign voice which would be unusual. Seeing as how it was already dark outside, visiting hours would've been over already so why was there someone here? Yet alone someone he doesn't know?
"...who...?" his hoarse voice prevented him from speaking fully, but he heard a gasp from the whimpering.
"Riku! I'm so glad you're alright... *sniffle*"
The young boy turned his head to his left, where he saw a young boy the same age as him, even looking quite alike to him except for his orange hair. The lights outside shone through the young boy's body, almost as if the boy was something unalive. But again this isn't some fantasy world they live in.
"Who...'s there...?" Riku reached out his hands in the boy's direction, which surprised the other as he wiped his tears away.
"You can... see me..." The boy's eyes were wide open, "But how is this possible? No... you're still very much alive but... ah."
Despite trying his best to keep his eyes open, Riku's heavy eyelids said otherwise. The red head slowly drifted into dreamland...
The next time he woke up again, the warm gentle rays of light were hitting his face.
Since he has been in and out of the hospital so frequently, he knew to call a doctor or nurse over if he woke up when he fell unconscious. Pressing the button, Riku waited while collecting his thoughts together.
Sure enough doctors came in and did checkups and tests to confirm the boy's condition was stable, and notified his parents that their son had awoken.
Both were glad and relieved to see their son was awake, but obviously he wasn't quite the same, "Mum... dad... where's Tenn-nii...?"
"Tenn-nii's not here with us right now, but you'll meet him again in the future so you have to do your best too. I promise you," his parents said, "He's doing his best for all of us, so we have to believe in him."
Both parents were obviously still sad about the departure of their eldest son, but they have to put on a brave face for their youngest.
They tried to cheer Riku up the best they could to make him smile. Riku knew his parents were trying to make him happy, but he really missed his brother.
"Mum... dad... I had a weird dream last night," Riku informed them, "I don't remember much about it but I saw a boy here in this room with me. He looked like me but had orange hair and reminded me of Tenn-nii..."
"..."
The two looked at each other speechless, unsure if they should tell Riku the truth.
"There's... something we need to tell you, Ri-chan," his mother spoke in a soft voice. After all, she was still trying to accept the truth after all these years, "You actually have another brother, you see... Tenn-nii's older than him but he's older than you. In other words, you and Tenn-nii aren't just twins, you're actually triplets."
She remembered the day she was told by the doctor she'd be having triplets. The joy the two soon to be parents felt was one she can never forget, but things didn't go so smoothly.
After Tenn was safely born, it could be said differently about the second. He wasn't breathing at all which alarmed the doctors and the baby was taken to the emergency room. Riku was born soon after too. Although they were grateful that two of their sons were healthy, the two parents grieved for their other son.
***
Riku sat watching outside the window. Night has fallen again and visiting hours are over.
His thoughts may be drifting off, but he was truthfully waiting for someone.
There was a shift in the air- he felt it. The boy appeared again, "So... mum and dad told you about me huh..."
"Yup! Come and sit here!" Riku pointed at a chair beside the bed. The boy nodded and did as told, "So... you're my brother...?"
"Yeah... but I'm no longer alive."
"But you're still my brother! What's your name?" Riku asked.
"Mum and dad named me Umi I think..."
"So Umi-nii then!" his smile was wide, trying to cheer the other up.
"Umi-nii..." Umi repeated what Riku said.
He had felt so alone all these years, but he watched Riku and Tenn grow up. He couldn't talk to his own family as none of them could see or hear him, so he could only talk to other spirits, though the chances of encountering one is very low.
Noticing how Umi seems to be quiet, Riku asked, "Is something wrong...?"
"N-no... nothing is wrong. I'm just... happy." he replied.
"So can no one else see you? Why can I see you then?"
"No one can see me, yes, but I suspect it was because you were in a near death situation when you fell unconscious," Umi speculated.
"But it's okay now! Umi-nii won't be alone anymore because I'll be here with you! ...unless you don't want to..."
Umi blinked and laughed, which made Riku pound, "Haha! You don't have to do that. I've always been by your side, and that will never change! I'll always support your decision no matter what. Anyhow, I'm glad your condition is stable now. You must be tired, right? Go to bed."
"Hmm..." Riku hummed in response, "Promise you'll be with me when I wake up?"
***
Years pass by and Riku lives with Umi in a small apartment by themselves. Riku's asthma has gotten slightly better, being able to do more physical activities than before. Unfortunately, their parents passed away and they weren't able to keep their house, so they moved to an apartment which would be big enough for them. A plus about living in a small apartment includes having less space which requires cleaning to prevent dust from building.
Times may be tough every now and again but at least they're not alone.
It all started off as a joke after Riku read a horror novel where a ghost possessed one of the characters, and so the redhead asked if his brother could do the same. To their surprise, it worked and Umi was able to touch things, smell things and taste things for the first time! When Umi's spirit is in Riku's body, Riku in turn becomes a spirit and watches over his brother.
Riku enjoyed seeing this curious side of his brother as the other was always responsible and always looked out for him, like his Tenn-nii. Although this was quite the discovery, Umi only took over when necessary to avoid exhausting Riku's body.
Living by themselves means having to be independent and working to pay bills. At first, that was one of the biggest challenges but now, they have enough money to pay for the bills that they even began to save up for the future.
What is their job you may ask?
Umi was gifted in composing songs while Riku, who has a wonderful voice and a wide range of vocabulary, sang the songs and wrote lyrics. Together, they are known as Terra online and would find themselves earning quite a large fanbase. From time to time, they'd sell some songs they've written together and it'll be sold out in a matter of minutes with a high price.
Not only do they create their own songs, they also often did some cover songs as it takes a while to compose songs.
It was yet another average day though there was a surprise waiting for the two.
Checking their work email, they received an email which made Riku's eyes widen, "Eh?!"
"What's wrong, Riku?" Umi asked, concerned.
"I-i-i" the teen seems to be in too much shock to reply.
Taking a glance at the laptop screen, Umi smiled, "Isn't this great?"
"B-but...! I heard it's difficult to get accepted even through auditioning!"
Indeed, Riku has received an email from a well-known university which specialises in entertainment, inviting him to be a student there.
"It's hard to get in so why not take the chance?" Umi encouraged.
***
"Waaa! It's huge!" Riku danced around under the sakura trees in the university's entrance.
Umi shouted in a scolding manner, not like anyone else could hear him anyways, "Slow down, Riku! You don't want to trigger an attack now, do you?"
"You worry too much, Umi-nii! The doctors had already said that my health has improved so I can do more physical activities now!" Riku giggled.
In the end, Riku accepted the invitation to the university and even got a scholarship there! It was still early in the morning but the two left early to avoid the morning rush and crowds in trains so there weren't many others around, and for those who were, they kept to themselves.
The excited redhead continued to 'race' his brother to the office, ignoring his brother's concerns, "W-wait! If you continue running like that you'll-!"
"Ouch!"
"Nii-san!"
Oops. Too late. Riku bumped into someone with orange hair and they both fell on the floor.
"Ouch... Ah! I'm so sorry! I got too excited and wasn't watching where I was going...!" Riku frantically apologised and extended his hand to help the other stand up, "You're not hurt, are you?"
"Haha. Don't worry about it, I'm not hurt. Just be more careful next time, okay?" the male with orange hair laughed and accepted his hand, "I'm Izumi Mitsuki! And you are?"
"Nanase Riku! It's nice to meet you," Riku smiled brightly.
Now that they two are standing up, Riku notices the other is slightly shorter than him.
"...cute..." beside Mitsuki was a teen with raven hair, and Riku unconsciously looked at him and titled his head, "Izumi Iori. Nii-san's younger brother," he replied before Riku even got the chance to ask.
"Hehe. Can't blame him for being blinded by your cuteness," Umi mumbled under his breath. Riku who heard it looked confused but couldn't ask as he'd look crazy talking to nothing.
Seeing the confused look on his face, the Izumi brothers thought that Riku was lost and needed help, "Are you looking for the office, Nanase-san?"
Riku nodded his head.
"So are we! Let's go together then!" Mitsuki suggested.
***
"Hey, hey! Look at that red head! I've never seen him before. Recon his new?"
"Oh! He's kinda cute! He seems a little familiar don't you think?"
"Hm... You're right... he does resemble someone but I can't put my finger on it... Do you think he's related to a celebrity?"
"Possibly!"
Squeals could be heard in the distance as Riku walked past them.
"You seem quite popular huh," Mitsuki commented, "I apologise for asking this but are you famous by chance?"
"M-me?! I don't think so..." Riku continued to walk while thinking.
Umi could only sigh at Riku's response.
After the three went and got the information booklet from the office, they explored the campus a little more as they'll be students here. Time went by and soon other students also began to arrive, including those who aren't new.
As they finished exploring the campus, they headed over to the auditorium and waited for the orientation to begin.
More and more students started to fill the seats until it was time to begin.
Right off the bat they were already assigned a task which would last the entire time they are at the university: to create a group and what activity the group would do. It's obvious once they start doing such jobs, they'd have to work with groups of people and so it's better to get such experience from the get-go. Such said activities could include a band, comedians, models, actors, dancers, and many more.
Letting the students hussle together, Riku found himself with a group with 6 others, 2 being the Izumi brothers who he already meet that morning.
"Shall we start by introducing ourselves?" a gentle voice said, "I'm Osaka Sogo and I auditioned as a musician."
"Rokuya Nagi~ I auditioned as a model~" a foreigner sang.
"Izumi Mitsuki! I auditioned to be an MC," Mitsuki cheered.
"Izumi Iori. I applied for management," Iori said calmly in contrast to his brother.
"Nikaido Yamato," a forest green haired man, introduced himself, "I auditioned as an actor."
"Yotsuba Tamaki. Dancing," the sky blue haired teen kept his introductions very simple.
"I'm Nanase Riku! And erm..." Riku's voice may be loud and clear when he said his name, however his voice trailed off and he fiddled with his fingers, "... what do you mean by auditioned...?"
The other 6 looked at him as if he was growing another head.
"Rikkun didn't take an audition?" Tamaki asked.
"N-no..."
"How did you get in then?" this time, Yamato was the one who asked.
"Well... I checked my email one day and I got an invitation to study here...?" Riku said with a tone of uncertainty.
"Eh?! So in a way you were scouted?! Wow, then you must be amazing!" Mitsuki exclaimed.
""I've never heard of someone getting scouted before," Sogo said in disbelief, "Say, what's your talent?"
"Talent? Um..." Riku went into a state of deep thought. He had never thought he had any special talent but if it was so difficult to get into this university, yet alone it was unheard of someone getting scouted, then surely there's something that he must've done to get even the head professor's, Takanashi Otoharu, attention.
Seeing Riku try to think so much, Umi let out a chuckle and teased, "It's singing, you dummy."
"Hmm... Singing... maybe?"
"Why do you sound so unsure," Iori sweatdropped.
Now came another hurdle they need to get over, deciding on what activities they'll do.
"Something we can all do..." Sogo closed his eyes to concentrate.
"Let's do a dance group!" Tamaki suggested.
"Onii-san might have some trouble with that," Yamato let out a dry laugh.
"Something music related...? I don't see any other activities I'd be suited in," Sogo sheepishly laughed.
"Oh!" Nagi exclaimed, "How about an idol group? That way we'd be able to utilise many of our talents! Musician, dancing, singing, managing... It's important to have an MC to keep concerts more lively and acting is also quite a valuable skill! And of course, we have my beautiful face~!"
Idol... Riku vaguely remembered a conversation he eavesdropped when he was a child. One that he wasn't supposed to.
Pushing that thought away, Riku still had another problem.
"Um- actually, regarding that, there's something you should know about me," Riku bravely said, "I... have asthma. Compared to back when I was a kid, my asthma has gotten better and the doctors said that I could do more physical activities, but to not strain myself. I promise I won't hold the group back!"
"Nanase-san..." Iori turned to look at Riku's eyes, "Good. I'm glad you told us. As the person who is most likely in charge of management, I can schedule with this in mind and not overwork you. I promise you, Nanase-san. I'll make you into a superstar."
"Oh oh~ That's a bold declaration, Ichi," Yamato teased.
"Well then, since I'm not really needed, I'll continue exploring the campus now," Umi said. Technically he isn't a student, so he didn't need to pay attention to the orientation, "Welp, I'll let you know if I find anything interesting~"
Riku subtly nodded his head as Umi left while the others were filling in the group form.
"Group name..." Riku heard Iori's voice mumble and so he returned his attention to the group.
"Hmm..."
***
The seven stood nervously in A front of the head professor Takanashi Otoharu, Yaotome Sousule and Okazaki Rintaro. The three reviewed the form they filled in earlier.
The silence was loud.
"And I see that all of you applied for a dorm?" Sousuke asked.
"Yes!"
"Seven is plenty for a unit so why don't you all have a unit to yourselves?" Otoharu suggested.
"Very well then. Your submission has been accepted. We'd like to formally welcome you once again to the university," Rintaro congratulated, " We hope you'll enjoy your time here, IDOLiSH7."
***
I'm finally back from the dead...! Kinda.
I've been busy with irl stuff so I do apologies for the long wait but it's finally back!
Like my other fanfic, this will be a daily update unless I forget so please look forward to it!
As mentioned before, I am technically still on 'haitus', but I finished writing this in my spare time so I thought I'd share this now since I've been gone for so long.
Hope you enjoyed!