Happy Zexal anniversary! I can’t believe that it’s been a year since Zexal ended and I had fun writing this AU for the AU swap. I got Dourako’s prompt so I hope you enjoy.
Ryoga had no idea what color was like. It was something thatonly existed in stories that he read. Day after day the grey taunted him with the world it was hiding. Stupid world rules…..how does meeting a soul mate magically make color appear? He though while watching the grey houses pass by. That is what his parents told him when he was little. That was the story of how they met, they simply ran into each other and saw color. They were lucky as they met in middle school. Some kids were even luckier like his friend Yuma who could see color since they were in elementary. The boy wouldn’t stop going on and on and on about what seeing color was like. But Yuma being Yuma he forgot who he had run into that was the key. Frankly Ryoga didn’t care nor did Yuma. Yuma did try to explain to Ryoga how color was associated with objects like grass was always green and the sky was always blue. Which was difficult to describe to someone who hadn’t seen color at all in his life.
“Just trust me on this on.” Yuma had always said, “When it first happens it’s going to give you the largest headache of your life. But afterwards you will be eternally grateful to whoever you met.”
Ryoga just shook his head as he got off the grey bus passing grey people towards the grey café. He was going to get his usual coffee before going to class at the university. He was studying music currently as his true passion was impossible in his condition right now. Artists couldn’t really survive just doing black and white paintings.
He got to the counter and saw a new girl operating the cash register. He could tell by the look in her eyes that she was like him, still unable to see color.
“Can I get you anything?” She asked in a forced joyful tone required by the job.
“Black coffee…don’t add anything.”
“Of course….your total is 5000 yen.”
“Here…..” Ryoga pulled the bill out of his pocket and handed it to her. But when their fingers brushed, something odd happened.
Ryoga blinked several times as his vision went fuzzy and refocused several times. Something new was entering his vision. The girl seems to be affected as well rubbing her eyes, looking back at him, the rubbing them again. “You okay?” He asked her.
“I-I’m fine….” She said with a blush on her cheeks. Wait…blush? Ryoga took a moment to look around him, the world wasn’t grey anymore! Could this girl really…..
“Order up…” Another worker placed Ryoga’s coffee on the counter.
“Thanks….” He took the cup and left. Yuma wasn’t joking, his head was hurting. The grass….that was green? The cup he was holding, he was sure that Yuma had called it brown a few times. His guitar case over his shoulder, dark blue possibly? This was too much input for his brain right now. Ryoga took a seat under a tree and downed his drink. He’ll just wait for the pain to go away. He was going to get another headache when Yuma finds out about this.
Ryoga scowled at Yuma’s nickname for him as the hyper boy jumped on his back. “You didn’t answer your phone all day!”
“I was in class Yuma….as you were supposed to be?”
“Professor Ukyo’s lectures are boring…” He pouted, “How is math supposed to help me when I’m out there digging for artifacts?”
“It’s a basic requirement that all majors are supposed to take regardless. If you don’t pass it you are not graduating.”
“Fiiiiiiiiiiineeeee……” Yuma whined, “You want to hang today?”
“And do what? Because if you propose seeing another black and white film I am going to strangle you with that red shirt of yours!”
“Wrong again I am wearing….” Yuma took a moment to look down at his own clothing, “Red…..Shark…don’t tell me…..”
“YOU MET HER!!!! So tell me? What’s she’s like? Tall? Short? Long hair? What color? Wait…you just were able to see color until today so you wouldn’t know so what shade of grey was she?”
“YUMA!” Ryoga had to cover the boy’s mouth to get him to stop, “If you must know, it was girl working at the coffee shop this morning. I didn’t get her name because I left in a hurry.”
“Then you’ve got to go back and find out! She’s your soul mate~” Yuma sing song the last part.
“That’s just a fairy tale…..”
Ryoga stood in front of the coffee shop the next day. Why was he going to bother, if he really needed coffee he could just go to the one around the corner. So why was he compelled to come back to this one? I might as well….I really need my caffeine…..Ryoga went inside. The girl from yesterday was at the counter again. She looked happier than she did before, most likely due to the fact the world wasn’t grey for her anymore. He could actually identify the features she had. Her hair was green darker than the grass and her eyes were an odd orange color that matched the apron she was wearing as part of her job. The shop wasn’t busy so he approached the counter to talk.
“Hello again….” She smiled, “Black coffee?”
“Yeah….” Ryoga rocked on his feet, “Um….about yesterday….did…did you see…..”
“Color?” She finished for him, “Yeah….I didn’t mean to scare you like that.”
“It’s alright….you’ve been…adapting well?
“My coworkers have been teasing me about it a bit but it’s nice I don’t have to rely on others to pick my outfits now…I’m pretty sure they tried to trick me at times by picking the tackiest colors.
“I’m sure my friend might of done the same thing. So ummmm…..” Ryoga’s eyes went to her nametag, “Kotori…do you have time today? After your shift?”
Kotori seemed a little confused at first then answered, “I have classes….but I’m free after four.”
“Would you….” Why was this so hard? “Like to go to the art museum with me?”
Kotori seemed surprised, “The art museum? I…..I would like that.”
“Good….I’ll meet you in front of the Heartland Art Museum then after four.” Ryoga grabbed a napkin and wrote something down, “Here’s my number in case of anything.”
“Thank you Ryoga….I’ll see you this afternoon then.”
The museum was quite as it was not a popular place for those who still only say grey. Ryoga preferred it quite anyway. He had been dreaming about this day for quite some time.
“These are beautiful aren’t they?” He heard Kotori asked.
“Yeah….I always pictured what they could look like when I was little. I can’t believe that I finally can now.”
“I’m glad too…This world just seems…brighter with color.”
“Yeah….so what do you study? At the university I mean.”
“Oh….well….I’m actually undeclared. I don’t know what I’m going to do yet.”
“It’s complicated…..” Kotori sighed, “What about you?
“Music….though I’m thinking about adding art now that I can see color.”
“Wow…..I can see why you picked the museum then.”
“Yeah……Though I’m worried that I won’t be able to keep up. Many kids in the art program have been at it for years.”
“I think you can…..” Kotori shuffled her feet. “I….I can tell that you love art…..I’m sure you have a lot of good ideas….”
“Thanks for the support……just going to throw this out there right now so it’s out of the way….do you believe that we are soul mates?”
Kotori turned all shades of red, “You believe that?!” Her voice squeaked.
“No! I mean…kind of…maybe…..it worked for my parents….just tell me if you believe it.”
“I…….kind of…..I feel like I owe you for giving me the ability to see color but at the same time….I don’t like predetermined destiny.”
“Same here….How’s this….one year….We’ll meet again in one year and we’ll see how we feel about each other. That was we won’t feel like we are being pressured into doing anything.”
“I like that….where should we met?”
“How about the steps of this very museum?”
“Really? Pinky promise?” Ryoga raised his eyebrow at the childish practice.
“Fine….pinky promise…” The linked their fingers and shook. It was going to be a long year.
Ryoga fiddled with his tie. Tonight he was attending a special gallery at the museum featuring student works from the university and he had some work on display. His professor insisted on dressing in their finest as awards were being handed out but that wasn’t making him nervous. Today was the day of his promise to Kotori and she had been on him mind all year to the point he painted her. Not just a few times, a lot. Several of his paintings had featured her as the subject. Sometimes just her as herself, other times as mythical creatures but he just painted her again and again. He didn’t want to forget what she looked like, especially what color she was. But did she think of him? Looking at his painting he was standing next to, he sighed. It was the largest one he did standing at his full height. He had painted Kotori as an angel rising into a heaven of color from a world of grey. If she didn’t reciprocate his feelings, he hoped that she would at least see the piece.
His phone buzzed in his pocket. If it was Yuma locking himself out of his apartment again he was going to….
Ryoga ran. She was here…she remembered. He had to see her. Pushing through the ingoing crowd, he ran out of the entrance looking for her distinct green hair. Standing at the base of the stairs, there stood Kotori, her pink dress flattering her figure nicely. She gave him a kind smile, “It’s been a while Ryoga.”
Ryoga caught his breath, “Yeah….it has. I…..” Now was his chance, why was he getting chocked up?
“You look nice….though why a purple suit?”
Ryoga turned red. “I like dark colors okay?”
“I like it….” She was now turning pink, “So you’ve got work on display?”
“Yeah…I….” Shark was starting to panic internally, she was going to see his painting of her! Would she think he was a creep?
This surprised him, “You do?”
“I’m studying 3-D art.” She gave him a smile, “I’ve finally decided what to do with my life.”
“That’s…great….” Ryoga offered her an arm, “Shall we go see each other’s works?”
“Of course…” She took it.
They both entered the museum and Ryoga guided Kotori straight to the 3-D art. He didn’t want her to see his piece quite yet.
“This is it.” Kotori pointed to a crystal sculpture. It looked like a swirling mass of water but it collected form a humanoid figure. To Ryoga, it was like looking in a mirror.
“Yeah….you don’t find it weird?”
“Weird….” Ryoga laughed, “You should see mine.” He guided her to the Painting section and to his work.
Kotori couldn’t hide her gasp, “It’s….beautiful….”
“I guess….we couldn’t stop thinking about each other.”
“I suppose not….So we kept our promise. What next?”
“Dinner after this? I know of a good place close by.”
“I like the sound of that.”
“Good….” They stood there for some time, hands slowly intertwining. Maybe being soul mates wasn’t such a bad thing after all.
