Akt. 2 [Heart Shard]

The next day came, and Kakyoin headed out of the boys’ dormitory, watching the girls yet again swarm the rude boy, who still looked less than pleased about the whole situation. It was still hard to believe that the rude boy was actually a Prince, one from his story nonetheless. But if collecting the Heart Shards meant restoring more emotions in his heart, thus making him potentially kinder, then it was worth it.

“Leave me alone, goddammit!” The rude boy cried out, lifting his arm away from a girl who was trying to hold onto it. “I don’t want any of you near me, you hear that, bitch?!”

As the group of girls, the rude boy, and Kakyoin left the courtyard in front of the dormitories, Kakyoin wondered if the rude boy actually remembered his encounter with him as Prince Tutu. He debated on asking him about it, but he felt like that would be a bad idea, as the rude boy would immediately get suspicious of him, and nothing good would come out of that. Continuing on heading towards the school, he remembered that Edel said he should check out the girls’ Junior Ballet Course, in order to find a Heart Shard. Kakyoin then made plans to check it out after school, as the Ballet Course he had to take was only taken on certain days, in order to allow the girls to use the studio as well.

He heard some more yelling coming from the rude boy, causing him to look up. This time he was physically trying to shove the girls out of the way, making him roll his eyes in response.

“There he goes again,” said someone beside him, causing him to look that way. “Always being a jerk, it seems.”

Walking beside him was a boy around his age, wearing the same school uniform and slightly tanned, as well as having his dark hair tied back in a ponytail. He had amber colored eyes, and then proceeded to look up at Kakyoin, after he noticed that he was looking at him. “What are you looking at?” He then asked curtly.

“N-Nothing!” Kakyoin replied. “I just happened to be surprised by you. Who are you exactly, by the way?”

“Name’s Fakir,” The boy answered, “And who are you, too? I don’t recognize you from the village.”

“My name is Noriaki Kakyoin, but please, call me Kakyoin,” He introduced himself.

“So you’re a transfer student?”

You could say that, He replied in his head, but he nodded and said instead, “Yes, I am.”

The two of them then looked forward once more, hearing some more shouting from the rude boy. Fakir just tsked and rolled his eyes in response, but Kakyoin cringed from the yelling.

“...You wouldn’t happen to know who he is, would you?” Kakyoin then asked, pointing towards the rude and angry boy. Even if he was the other Prince, he might as well learn his other name.

“Oh, that jerk? His name’s Jotaro Kujo, and he just transferred here too. Don’t know why all the girls are crazy about him, however,” Fakir answered, rolling his eyes again.

“So he’s always been like this?”

“Yeah, ever since he came here he’s been seething with anger. Probably doesn’t like the idea of moving to a new school, at least that’s what I figure.”

Kakyoin looked down. He knew the truth on why Jotaro was always angry, but he couldn’t exactly tell Fakir, as he would seem crazy. He then thought about the Girls’ Junior Ballet Class. “Hey, you also wouldn’t happen to know when the Girls’ Junior Ballet Class starts, do you?”

“After school ends, at the same time as the Boys’ Junior Class starts normally,” Fakir answered, looking at him strangely. “Why would you want to know?”

“O-Oh,” Kakyoin said. He forgot that question would be weird to ask. He then came up with an excuse, saying, “I-I just wanted to watch, that’s all. Maybe learn a thing or two, perhaps.”

Fakir chuckled. “You’re weird, but I don’t blame you for wanting to get good marks in that class. After all, I have heard about some nasty things that happen to boys who don’t attend or get good marks in the Ballet Class.”

“Do you like the Ballet Classes, then?” He then asked. Fakir seemed like the first boy he’d seen that actually didn’t mind the Ballet Classes they had to take, as part of the academy’s requirements.

“I don’t care for them, but they are…interesting, to say the least,” Fakir answered, eyes moving towards the side as he said that statement. “And you?”

“Oh, I don’t really care for them either,” Kakyoin answered casually. “Mr. Cat is hard to deal with, especially with how rigorous he is.”

“Agreed,” Fakir nodded. “It also is a little weird that he keeps mentioning that he wants to teach the girls’ class, for some reason. He just seems a little too obsessive over that.”

“Mhm,” He nodded. The both of them then came to the entrance of the school. Since they probably both had separate classes, he waved goodbye to Fakir, and headed towards his first class.

After school came, and Kakyoin quickly headed over towards the academy’s Dance Studio, in order to ‘watch’ the Girls’ Junior Ballet Class, or rather find a Heart Shard. The Studio was like any other Dance Studio, with the ballet barre next to the windows, and having the typical cold, gray-colored laminate flooring. There was also a large player-piano inside, made of black-painted wood, and gold gears attached to the sides. Currently, there were girls in blue leotards scattered about, whispering and chatting amongst themselves, and the seat at the piano was currently empty. There were no teachers in the room as of yet, however.

When Kakyoin entered the room, the other girls stared at him in confusion, whispering as well to the others. Eventually, one girl came up to him, with blonde pigtails, asking, “Who’re you? Why are you here?”

“Oh, I’m Noriaki Kakyoin,” He introduced himself. “As for why I’m here, I just wanted to watch, that’s all.”

“...Aren’t you the boy who got slapped by Jotaro?” Another girl piped up, this time with dark skin and pink hair tied in a bun, crossing her arms and looking at him weirdly.

“...I-I’d rather not answer that.”

The girls started to whisper again, shooting strange looks at him now.

The doors behind him swung open again, and a human lady dressed in a leotard came through, along with…an anteater standing up, dressed in a girl’s leotard?!

Kakyoin stared in shock as the anteater and obviously the teacher walked past him, although the teacher did stop him and ask why he was there, and he responded as ‘just wanting to watch the class’, and he managed to get permission to do so from the teacher. Sitting down next to the ballet barre, far enough away from the other students at the barre, he watched as the other female students whispered amongst themselves, although not talking exactly about the fact that there was a literal anteater in the room, just asking around about who she exactly was.

“Good evening students!” the Ballet Instructor started.

“Good evening, Miss Teacher!” The students replied.

“Today we have a new student joining our class, Miss Anteaterina here,” She then said, gesturing towards the anteater.

“Hello,” The anteater then said, shockingly enough, flicking her tongue in her mouth as she spoke. “Pleasure to meet you all.”

“Nice to meet you too, Anteaterina,” The other students replied, not even looking slightly uncomfortable, like Kakyoin was.

Anteaterina then joined the line of students at the ballet barre, standing in front of the Ballet Instructor.

“And not only do we have a new student joining our class, but we also have a visit from the Special Class today,” The Instructor then said.

“The Special Class?” One student whispered.

“Aren’t only five girls allowed in that class at a time?” Another whispered as well.

“Why would they be here?”

“Maybe we might have a surprise Advancement Test today!”

Kakyoin had heard about the Advancement Tests for the Ballet Classes, in order to rank students on how well they danced, in order to ‘provide proper training’ for them. There were eight classes in total, split into four for each gender. There was the Special Class, of course, the highest, most exclusive and advanced class, the Senior Class, the second highest, the Junior Class, the one he was in, for beginners, and the last, most dreaded and lowest class, the Probationary Class, full of rigorous-but-basic training. Nobody wanted to be in the Probationary Class, that’s for sure.

The doors to the Studio opened once more, and a group of just five girls entered, all appearing much more refined and elegant than the Junior Class, especially the girl with black, wavy hair and ruby-colored eyes. Something about her, however, made Kakyoin shiver for some strange reason.

The five Special Class girls stood in line next to the Ballet Instructor, who then said, “Today we will be watching the Special Class, in order to learn more about the techniques they use.”

Anteaterina’s hand then shot up quickly, causing everybody to look at her in confusion.

“Yes, Anteaterina?” The Instructor said, looking about as confused as everybody else.

“Is it true that only five girls are let into the Special Class at a time?” She asked, tongue-flicking yet again.

“Yes, Anteaterina,” The Instructor nodded. “It is true that only five girls are in the Special Class at a time—”

“Well, I’m afraid someone’s going to have to leave,”

The whole class then gasped, including Kakyoin.

“In order to make a spot for me,” Anteaterina finished, sounding disturbingly and overly confident.

The Studio bursted into talkative whispers, all the girls whispering about this development, in as much shock as Kakyoin was.

“...Well, then,” The Instructor said with a smile, visibly blown-away like the rest of the class. “I’m sure an impromptu Advancement Test is allowed.”

“Very well then,” Anteaterina replied. She then pointed towards the black-haired girl, saying, “I’d like to be compared next to her, too.”

“A declaration of war?!” A girl hurriedly whispered.

“Against Rue?!” Another did as well.

“She’s crazy!”

“Why would she do that?!”

“She’s going to get crushed!”

“Very well,” The Instructor replied, nodding. She then looked at the black-haired girl, asking, “Do you oblige, Rue?”

“Of course,” Rue, the black-haired girl, replied, nodding and not even looking nervous or shocked. In fact, she didn’t look like she was perturbed by Anteaterina’s sudden declaration.

“Oh, this is going to be interesting!” One girl then whispered.

“She accepted?”

“Of course she did! She just got threatened with her position being taken!”

“Enough, enough!” The Instructor then said, clapping and thus effectively silencing the other girls. She then walked over towards the player-piano, loading a music roll into it. Anteaterina and Rue then took center stage, and the rest of the Special Class sat down next to the ballet barre, along with the Junior Class. After starting the music on the player-piano, the Instructor then said, “You may begin!”

The two of them then started, with Rue on the right and Anteaterina on the left. Rue’s choreography was practically perfect, well-timed to the music and graceful. Anteaterina’s, on the other hand, felt forced and powerful, and almost reminded Kakyoin of how Rue was dancing. In fact, it was almost like a picture-perfect copy of Rue’s dancing, except more fierce and bold.

“She’s dancing almost like Rue!” One girl whispered in shock, noticing the same thing that Kakyoin did. A girl quickly shushed her, however.

As Kakyoin watched the two of them dance, however, he noticed something red glowing around Anteaterina, right where her heart should be. Was the red glow a sign of a Heart Shard? Looking down, he then noticed his own red-jewel necklace glowing, making him cover it and realize that it was somehow sensing a Heart Shard nearby, with Anteaterina of all people.

The music finished, and there was an obvious winner to the sudden duel of the two dancers.

“Well, how did I do, Miss Instructor?” Anteaterina said confidently.

“Well, Miss Anteaterina…” The Instructor trailed off. “I’m afraid you didn’t pass.”

The Studio went dead silent, and everybody then looked at Anteaterina, waiting for her reaction to such news. She clenched her clawed fists, visibly shaking at first, then let out a long wail, turning around and running out of the Studio, the Heart Shard in her chest glowing brightly.

Kakyoin bolted upwards, standing up and running after Anteaterina, much to the bewilderment of the others. He followed Anteaterina out of the academy, running down the stone pathway, and she bumped into Jotaro as she wailed, inconveniently enough.

“Hey!” Jotaro cried out, angry as usual. “Watch where you’re going, asshole!”

Kakyoin rushed past him as well, although Jotaro nearly grabbed his shoulder, looking even angrier as he passed by.

“Anteaterina!” Kakyoin cried out to her as she ran into a nearby wooded area. “Wait up!”

“Not fair!” She kept wailing. “It’s not fair at all!”

She then stopped in front of a large pine tree, digging at its roots with her claws as she continued to cry. “Not fair, not fair!”

Kakyoin stopped in place, seeing a strange red apparition appear next to her, almost looking like Jotaro, except wearing a prince’s outfit. “There, there,” said the strange apparition patting Anteaterina on the shoulder, “It’s okay, it wasn’t fair.”

“It wasn’t!” Anteaterina cried out, still digging while sobbing. “It really wasn’t!”

Kakyoin heard the disembodied voice of Drosselmeyer, confirming his suspicions. Nodding, he then approached Anteaterina, slowly and carefully.

His red-jewel necklace glowed, changing his outfit into that of Prince Tutu’s. Standing on his toes, he raised an open hand towards Anteaterina, saying, “Anteaterina, will you please dance with me?”

“W-Who are you?” Anteaterina blubbered out, turning around to face him. The red apparition of Jotaro looked at him, then merged with her. “I-I won’t dance with you! Leave me alone!”

She then started to do a pirouette, kicking up dirt and somehow causing the earth around her to spike up, creating a spiky circle around her. Kakyoin shielded himself from the dirt, saying, “Is this how you really dance?”

“Yes, it is!” She cried out, still pirouetting. “To make the audience surrender is true art!”

“But is it how you truly feel, Anteaterina?” He responded, leaping and dodging the waves of sand flying towards him.

“I said, yes!”

Another wave of sand was kicked upwards, this time hitting Kakyoin directly, causing him to fall towards the ground. Standing back up, he then said, “But there’s no joy to your dancing, in fact, it looks like it’s causing you pain! Tell me, then, what causes you this much strife?”

“Because of her!” She bitterly replied. “As much as I try, she said I will never dance like her!”

So this is about Rue! Kakyoin thought to himself. He then said out loud, doing his own pirouette towards Anteaterina, “Those feelings aren’t truly yours! Forget your feelings of bitterness and hatred, as I want to see you dance in your own way beautifully!”

Anteaterina then stopped her wild spinning, and Kakyoin stopped in front of her as well. “Y-You do?” She then blubbered out.

“Yes, I do,” He replied, putting a hand out towards her. “Will you dance with me, then?”

Anteaterina then placed her clawed hand into his, smiling, it looked like. Kakyoin then proceeded to dance with her, smiling as well. “See? See how joyful and freeing it is, to dance in your own way, to your heart’s content?”

“Yes, yes I do!” She cried out joyfully. The spikes then receded, and Kakyoin finished dancing with her, and as she backed away, the red apparition of Jotaro split from her, standing in front of Kakyoin and looking at him.

“And you must be…” Kakyoin said with a smile.

“Yes, yes I am,” The apparition said. “I am his feelings of utter disappointment, separated from his heart.”

“You do not belong here, in Anteaterina’s heart,” He replied.

“Then where should I go?” It then asked, “I’d rather not wander around again.”

“It is time for you to come home, back into the Prince’s heart.” He answered.

“Can I really go back?”

“Of course,” Kakyoin replied with a smile.

The apparition of Jotaro smiled, then faded away, and Kakyoin cusped his hands as it turned into a red shard, falling into his hands. Kakyoin looked down at it fondly, happy to have found a Heart Shard at last.

“Hey, you!”

Kakyoin turned around, seeing the actual Jotaro standing there, looking tired and angry. “You again?! Who exactly even are you?!” he then shouted at him.

“I am Prince Tutu,” He answered with a serene smile.

Jotaro just looked at him with angered bewilderment, and Kakyoin opened his hands again, allowing the Heart Shard to merge into Jotaro’s chest, returning his feelings of disappointment. As it once again merged with Jotaro’s heart, he wobbled and clutched his chest, right where his heart was. He fell onto his knees, and Kakyoin couldn’t help but feel slightly bad for him, but he smiled anyway, knowing that this was the right thing to do.

He then turned around and fled the clearing, hearing muffled shouting from Jotaro, commanding him to get back where he was. After transforming back to his regular school uniform, he headed back to the Dance Studio, seeing Anteaterina there, apologizing.

“I’m sorry for acting so meanly to you, Miss Rue,” Anteaterina said, bowing towards Rue. “And I’m sorry for copying you too. I shall find my own way of dancing, and not have to copy you.”

Rue smiled, as well as Kakyoin behind the door to the Studio. The Instructor then clapped, saying, “Well, I’m certainly glad to hear that, Miss Anteaterina! Now, let’s continue with class, shall we?”

All the other girls nodded, including Anteaterina.

Kakyoin turned around as the students went back to watching the Special Class students perform, happy with himself for helping Anteaterina with her problems. Sure, there was the fact he helped a literal anteater, but that didn’t matter, he got back one of Jotaro’s Heart Shards, even if it was the emotion of Disappointment. Heading back to the boys’ dormitory, he encountered Fakir once more.

“Hey, have you seen Jotaro?” Fakir asked Kakyoin.

“Can’t say I have,” Kakyoin lied, shaking his head. “Why are you asking that? I thought you didn’t like him?”

“Oh, I don’t,” Fakir replied, looking to the side. “It’s just that I heard from some girls that he came out of the forest, looking worse for wear, and apparently he was blubbering about ‘being disappointed’, for some weird reason. I just wanted to see if it was true, after all, I thought the only emotion he had in that heart of his was just anger.”

“Huh,” Kakyoin commented. “...That’s a little bit mean of you, but I can’t say that I’m not surprised either.”

“Yeah, whatever.”

Fakir then walked away, possibly searching for Jotaro again. Kakyoin, however, continued his way back towards the dormitories, thinking about the fact that Jotaro seemed disappointed about something. Was he disappointed that he didn’t know who Prince Tutu was? Kakyoin shook that thought out of his head, as he needed to keep his secret from Jotaro, as long as possible.