u/VOLQUIOS

SHIGATSU RANDOM: “Too Late”

Alternate Universe:

In this timeline, Tsubaki Sawabe realizes her feelings for Kousei Arima long before the normal events of the story.

Which DOES NOT mean she'll act quickly.

Because she's still Tsubaki.

--

Sunset.

Quiet park.

Tsubaki sitting next to Nao Kasawagi.

Long silence.

Too long.

Kasawagi is already tired.

"So…"

"Do you like Arima or not?"

Tsubaki: "I DON'T KNOW!"

"You've been crying over him for 40 minutes."

"THAT DOESN'T MEAN ANYTHING!"

Kasawagi: "It means quite a lot."

Tsubaki begins a full-blown emotional breakdown.

"But he was always there!"

"He's annoying!"

"It's weird!"

"He talks to pianos!"

"Sometimes I feel like he lives in another dimension!"

Kasawagi: "That was the most romantic thing you've ever said."

Tsubaki remains silent.

Silence.

Dramatic wind.

And slowly…

Her neurons connect.

Flashbacks:

Kousei smiling.

Kousei helping her.

Kousei cooking terribly.

Kousei playing the piano.

Kousei existing.

Tsubaki's eyes widen in horror.

"…oh no."

Kasawagi: "Finally."

"I LIKE KOUSEI!"

"Yes."

"WHAT DO I DO?!"

Kasawagi: "Please grow up emotionally."

"Days later."

...

Tsubaki pacing nervously.

She's carrying:

a bouquet of flowers,

chocolates,

a letter,

and an extra bag because she panicked while shopping.

Kasawagi is walking beside her, completely calm.

Tsubaki: "What should I give him first?"

"The flowers?"

"The chocolates?"

"The letter?"

"What if he thinks I'm weird?"

Kasawagi: "Tsubaki."

"What?"

"Just breathe."

Tsubaki's mind continues to race.

"What if he rejects me?"

"What if I ruin our friendship?"

"What if—"

Kasawagi: "Do whatever you want."

"Huh?"

"But hurry."

Silence.

Tsubaki: "Why?"

Kasawagi points ahead.

"Because it's already late."

Tsubaki slowly turns her head.

And she sees the worst possible scene.

Kaori Miyazono is already chatting animatedly with Kousei.

Too close.

Too happy.

Too comfortable.

Kaori excitedly grabs his hands.

"Then we'll go together!"

Kousei is confused but barely manages a smile.

"Ah… yes."

Absolute silence.

Tsubaki's soul leaves her body.

Kasawagi surveys the disaster.

"Wow."

"That violinist's speed is impressive."

Tsubaki, completely devastated:

"…it can't be."

Kaori continues to approach Kousei naturally.

As if she'd stepped out of some other, more aggressive romantic anime.

Tsubaki: "THAT WOMAN MOVES SO FAST!"

Kasawagi: "It took you years to accept basic feelings."

"THAT DOESN'T HELP!"

Kaori laughing with Kousei.

Tsubaki watching the scene like a war veteran.

She clutches the flowers.

Kasawagi: "Well."

"Are you going to give up?"

Silence.

Tsubaki looks at Kousei.

Then at Kaori.

Then she takes a deep breath.

Primate survival instincts activated.

Tsubaki: "...no."

Kasawagi: "Oh."

Tsubaki: "No one's going to take that idiot pianist away from me that easily."

Kasawagi: "That sounded extremely territorial."

And just as Tsubaki starts walking purposefully...

She misstes.

She falls.

The chocolates go flying.

The flowers too.

The letter lands in front of Kousei.

Absolute silence.

Kousei picks it up.

Read the front.

"Love Letter."

Deadly silence.

Tsubaki: —…

Kasawagi: —Incredible execution.

Non-canon scenes where emotional suffering takes a vacation and everyone reveals that they are actually weirdos.

October.

Classroom.

Teacher writing on the board.

"And to close out the month… the school will be holding a Halloween costume contest."

Absolute frenzy in the classroom.

Everyone is excited.

Students talking about:

vampires,

zombies,

superheroes,

monsters.

Meanwhile…

Kousei Arima continues writing calmly as if nothing had happened.

And Ryota Watari slowly turns his head.

He looks at him.

Too intently.

Kousei senses danger.

"No."

Watari: "I didn't even say anything."

"I know you."

...

Recess.

Watari chasing Kousei down the hallway.

"Come on, Arima!"

"It'll be fun!"

"No."

"For once in your life, do something normal!"

—Playing piano is normal.

—IT ISN'T!

...

Watari starts selling him absurd ideas.

—We can be:

samurai,

detectives,

zombies,

vampires.

Kousei: —I don't want to dress up.

Watari: —Kaori will be in costume.

Silence.

Kousei keeps walking.

But slower.

Watari senses psychological weakness.

He smiles.

—And Kaori loves costumes.

Kousei stops.

Fatal mistake.

...

Cut immediately.

Kousei sitting in a chair.

Very nervous.

Watari behind him.

Holding a hair clipper.

Absolute silence.

Kousei: —…Watari.

—Yes.

"Why do you have that?"

Watari smiles slowly.

"Trust in science."

"WHAT SCIENCE?"

...

Kousei tries to get up.

Watari pushes him again.

"DON'T MOVE!"

"YOU'RE CRAZY!"

"ART REQUIRES SACRIFICES!"

"THAT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE!"

...

The machine turns on.

BZZZZZZZ

Kousei is horrified.

"WATARI NO—"

CUT.

...

"2 days later."

Halloween night.

The school is completely decorated.

Orange lights.

Music.

People in costumes.

Kaori Miyazono elegantly dressed as a witch.

Tsubaki Sawabe dressed as a demon with red horns.

Kaori happily looking around.

—This is incredible!

Tsubaki: —Watari's been acting weird all day.

Kaori: —That doesn't really reduce the chances.

Then…

Eerie silence in the doorway.

Everyone slowly turns their heads.

Footsteps.

Kousei enters.

Completely BALD.

Black pants.

A horrible fake beard.

A face of utter suffering.

Total silence.

Kaori's eyes widen.

Then she bursts out laughing.

She DOUBLE OVER laughing.

—HAHAHAHAHAHAHA NOOOOO!

Tsubaki is horrified.

—WHAT DID THEY DO TO YOU?!

Kousei, dead inside:

—…this was a mistake.

Kaori can barely breathe.

—YOUR HEAD IS GLOWING!

Kousei: —I know.

Tsubaki grabs him by the shoulders.

"WHY DID YOU LET WATARI DO THIS?!"

Kousei: "He said Kaori liked costumes."

Silence.

Kaori keeps laughing.

Tsubaki slowly turns her head.

Murderous aura.

"I'M GOING TO KILL HIM."

The gym lights go out.

Dramatic music.

Slow footsteps.

Everyone looks toward the entrance.

Then Ryota Watari appears.

Oversized hoodie.

Black sunglasses.

Gangster clothes.

Walking with absurd confidence.

Watari: "Yo, Mr. White!"

Absolute silence.

Kaori: "No…"

Watari points dramatically at Kousei.

"Yeah, science!"

The room erupts in laughter.

Kousei wants to die.

Watari approaches excitedly.

"SAY YOUR LINE!"

Kousei: "I don't want to."

"SAY YOUR LINE!"

"No."

"KAORI'M WATCHING!"

Silence.

Kousei sighs in defeat.

He adjusts his fake beard.

And in the most depressed voice on the planet:

"Say my name."

Kaori falls to the floor laughing.

Tsubaki literally punches a wall.

"WATARI, I'M GOING TO BREAK YOUR LEGS!"

But Watari remains completely in character.

"You're goddamn right."

Kousei: "This isn't science anymore."

They start taking pictures.

The whole school surrounds them.

Because Kousei's costume is NOT impressive…

It's pathetic.

He looks like:

a divorced teacher,

an unemployed chemist,

or a small-time crook.

Even the teachers are cracking up.

Teacher: —Arima… why are you bald?

Kousei: —I don't want to talk about it.

Kaori wiping away tears.

—YOU LOOK LIKE A 43-YEAR-OLD MAN!

Kousei: —Thanks.

—THAT WASN'T A QUITE!

Then they announce the results.

—And the winner of the contest is…

Dramatic pause.

—Arima Kousei!

The whole class applauds.

Kousei is confused.

—Huh?

Teacher: —Not for best costume.

Silence.

—But because we've never seen anything so pathetic.

The whole gym bursts into laughter.

Kousei freezes.

Spiritually defeated.

Watari crying with emotion.

"WE WON, MR. WHITE!"

Kousei: "I lost hair... because of this."

...

Days later.

Kousei playing the piano.

Completely bald.

An elegant classical concert.

The entire audience serious.

Then a little girl whispers:

"Mom... why is Walter White playing the piano?"

Kousei slowly closes his eyes.

The trauma never ended.

THE END