🪡指先に結ばれた赤い糸 - Ch1 - The Crimson Thread

💜💗💜💗💜 Story 💗💜💗💜💗 In a distant western continent, there was an ancient royal capital surrounded by endless mountains. There stood white stone walls, golden spires, and countless legends that had been passed down through centuries within the royal court. Among them, the most mysterious was known as— “The Crimson Thread.” According to the legend, when the Moon Goddess believed that the meeting of two people was destined to change each other’s lives, she would grant them a red thread. It would be tied around the little fingers of those two people. No matter how far apart they were, no matter how different their identities might be, the thread would guide them toward each other. However, scholars of the royal court believed it was merely an ancient romantic tale. Nobles often spoke of it during banquets, treating it as nothing more than a beautiful fantasy told by wandering poets. Because no one had ever truly seen it. At least, no one believed it existed before that spring. --- Kamui Gakupo saw the crimson thread for the first time on an ordinary morning. Mist covered the ancient castle. Beyond the tall arched windows, roses in the garden still carried drops of morning dew, while the distant clock tower struck seven. Gakupo sat in his study, reading an ancient book about the history of forgotten kingdoms. He was not someone who believed in superstition. As a young nobleman of the royal court, he had received strict education since childhood. Swordsmanship. Etiquette. Diplomacy. History. Everything required a reason. Every decision needed evidence. So when his gaze fell upon his own hand, his first reaction was not surprise. It was confusion. A thin red line had appeared around the little finger of his left hand. It was not a wound. It was not a ribbon. It looked like a delicate thread formed from pure light, extending from his fingertip and disappearing beyond the room. Gakupo placed the book down. His brows slightly furrowed. He reached out and touched it. But his finger passed straight through. There was no warmth. No weight. Yet it truly existed. At that moment, he remembered an old story from his childhood. The legend of the red thread blessed by the Moon Goddess. A tale he once believed was nothing more than a childish fantasy. “Could it be…” Gakupo stared at his little finger. “...that it actually exists?” --- At the same time, on the other side of the royal capital. Megurine Luka saw the same phenomenon. She had been arranging the sheet music she had recently completed. White roses decorated the windowsill. Sunlight entered the room, falling gently over her long pink hair. Luka was someone who cherished art. She believed in music. She believed in stories. And she believed that some connections between people could not be explained by reason alone. Yet she had never imagined that she would encounter the legendary crimson thread herself. She looked down at her little finger. The red thread quietly wrapped around it. It did not restrain her. It did not force her. It simply existed. As if telling her— Somewhere in this vast world, another person had also seen the same thread. Luka gently held her hand. “Who is the person on the other end…?” She did not know the answer. But strangely, she felt no fear. Only a quiet sense of anticipation. --- On the third day after the red thread appeared, Gakupo decided to follow it. He walked through the streets of the royal capital. Passed through crowded markets. Passed through the palace square. Whenever he changed direction, the thread gently pulled him forward. It did not command him. It guided him. On the other side, Luka also stepped outside her home. She followed the thread’s direction. Two separate paths slowly began to draw closer. No one knew that two people who had never met before were searching for each other in the same city on the same day. --- That evening, the royal palace held its annual Spring Moonlight Ball. All nobles were invited. Crystal chandeliers illuminated the grand hall. Golden candleholders lined the walls. An orchestra played an elegant waltz. Gakupo originally had no intention of attending. But at sunset, the crimson thread suddenly pointed toward the palace. So he followed it. At the same time, Luka received an invitation. She stood before the palace entrance, looking at the magnificent building before her. She did not know why she came. She only knew the thread had guided her here. --- Under the crystal lights. They saw each other for the first time. Gakupo stood on the opposite side of the ballroom. His black formal attire emphasized his elegant figure. His long purple hair moved softly with the evening breeze. His violet eyes fell upon the young woman wearing a graceful pale-colored dress. Luka also stopped. She saw the unfamiliar man. Purple eyes. A calm and mysterious presence. Neither spoke. But in the next moment— The crimson thread began to glow. Stretching across the entire ballroom. Connecting their little fingers. No one around them noticed. Because only they could see the light. Gakupo walked toward her. One step. Then another. Until he stood before her. He bowed politely. The perfect greeting of a nobleman. “Please forgive my sudden approach.” His voice was calm and gentle. “But I wish to confirm something.” Luka looked at him. Then softly asked: “You can see it too…?” Those few words were enough. They both understood. The answer was standing right in front of them.