Tsumugi Aoba/Natsume Sakasaki

**Tsumugi Aoba/Natsume Sakasaki** is a relationship between two members of Switch, Tsumugi Aoba and Natsume Sakasaki. It's a prominent ship in Ensemble Stars fandom.

## Relationship and notable canon moments

As children, Natsume went to Tsumugi's parents' idol school, being made to pretend to be a girl due to his family's work as well as cultural reasons, his gifted nature being quite the novelty. He'd be called "Tsumugi-niisan", apparently being treated nicely by Natsume despite him claiming he was annoying and bad at comforting others.

Tsumugi told Natsume he wouldn't let him alone while they were following the same dream, woven together, and Natsume asked if they were bonded by the red string of fate. Tsumugi replied they were because, since it was just like Natsume's hair color, and promised he wouldn't cut his own hair so that they could remain weaved by fate, tying it to Natsume's hair. Natsume complained because walking that way was difficult and said that Tsumugi should be more cool, like a prince from a fairytale.

Due to Tsumugi's mother's financial problems which lead to bankruptcy, the school was closed and Tsumugi didn't meet Natsume until his second year at Yumenosaki Academy—but he'd always remembered Natsume-chan.

During *Element* Tsumugi found Natsume hidden in the school's library, and only then realized he was actualy "the girl" from back then, getting an aggressive reaction whenever he calls him "Natsume-chan" since it reminds him of what he finds to be an embarrassing part of his past.

Tsumugi joined Eichi in his plan to reform Yumenosaki Academy and chose Natsume as one of the Five Oddballs, not thinking of how it'd affect him. Natsume got mad at him and asked if he thought they were going to thank him for sacrificing them to a noble cause, but Tsumugi kept saying he was going to be Eichi's shield as his friend, until he'd run off after their final performance, discarded by him as a member of fine after their contract was up.

In *Pleiades Night*, when the war was over, Natsume went to meet Tsumugi and gave him the plan he had written for the Five Oddballs' victory, asking him to burn the papers along with the evidence from the war Tsumugi was destroying. Natsume told him not to burn them if he wished to return the old days, since someone might find the plan and make his dream come true, but Tsumugi decided to burn it because the past was more painful than the present. Natsume found that to be merciless, but it was okay since he wouldn't be happy if his dream ended up being fulfilled by other people.

Tsumugi told Natsume he was worried about him and wanted to help him, even telling Natsume he was allowed to hit him as much as he wanted when he showed his disgust.

Natsume decided to stay with Tsumugi to "kill time" and watch over him because he thought Tsumugi might commit suicide if he left him alone. He had the excuse that by staying by his side, he would take revenge by making him feel guilty. Later, Natsume claimed Tsumugi should pay him for helping him when his uniform was burning, even if it took his whole life. He added "until the death do us part" and wondered if that sound like a proposal.

They managed to become Switch along with Sora during the next year and adopted somewhat of a found family-like behavior, attempting to make Sora happy with Natsume often asking for Tsumugi to fulfill Sora's desires. Conversely, however, they did tend to neglect Sora while being so absorbed in their own issues, *specifically* ones that involve each other and their feelings towards each other.

Natsume has a superficial animosity towards Tsumugi that has been named as "tsundere", leading to comedic banters as Tsumugi often purposefully ends up saying things that embarrass or annoy him, playfully or otherwise teasing. On the other hand, Natsume usually scolds him whenever Tsumugi says something self-deprecating, and has apologized to him when he said something too mean as shown in *Pleiades Night*. In the end, his desire was never to genuinely hurt him or have him cement this view even further, and the moment he does so he's filled with regret.

In *Wonder Game,* Natsume was targeted by Ibara, who wanted to take advantage of Five Oddballs past for the sake of Eden. Natsume started feeling gloomy since he was left behind while Tsumugi seemed to be happy while remembering the old days of *fine* and teaching other idols that was participating in the same project than Switch and Eden. Tsumugi noticed something was wrong and tried to talk with Natsume because he wanted to make him happy, but Natsume asked what he was to him—only to be asked by Tsumugi if he *really wanted to know* the extent of it, only to be accused of lying because he thought he'd only say what he wants to hear.

Natsume thought Tsumugi was going to leave Switch after his graduation and become a teacher instead of an idol, he didn't listen to Tsumugi's words and hoped he would be happy. Tsumugi looked for Natsume and found him in the secret room where he was working for Switch's performance, where Natsume told him to believe in him instead of pretending to be his senpai or nii-san.

At the end was able to Tsumugi explain how he was invited to work in New Dimension too suddenly, and told Natsume and Sora he would like them to follow him, which is what they ended up doing later during !! Era.

In *Next Door*, Tsumugi collapsed due to overworking himself, which prompted Natsume to return to the NewDi office to prepare medicine for Tsumugi. Whilst there, Natsume expressed concern for Tsumugi’s health, advising him to not push himself too much. Tsumugi then offered to walk Natsume home, to which he declined.

After Natsume left, Tsumugi told Leo that he couldn’t show Natsume how hard it was for him to deal with the issues within NewDi. He later grew to regret this and felt bad for leaving Natsume in the dark and carrying the burdens himself, something he knew Natsume didn’t appreciate as the oddballs did the same to him.

Natsume however was not hurt by Tsumugi’s actions, stating that both of them have grown to understand each other, knowing what distance to keep in order to not hurt each other. He then says that he completely trusts Tsumugi, that he loves him and that there was no need for Tsumugi to feel uneasy. Tsumugi then says he loves him too.

Natsume later reminds Tsumugi to not overwork himself, and that he won’t forgive Tsumugi if he does. Natsume also reminds Tsumugi to rely on him and Sora.

In Grand Slam, Tsumugi claims that Natsume "made a contract – in correct prodecure – with a fallen angel, or rather, a devil." In regards to himself. When told that at the very least, unlike who Tsumugi had once devoted himself to in the past, Natsume from the bottom of his heart wants to make everybody happy, Tsumugi makes it clear that even if it isn't the case, he'd put an end to it, if worst comes to worst. Utterly devoted, he will embrace that boy before it all falls apart.

During Altered, the fact Natsume was the one who brought Tsumugi humanity through his rebirth at the end of the war is elaborated on even further. Tsumugi's love for Natsume is what makes him human, what —as he'd said in *Wonder Game*— helped him how to feel pain and everything else, love included. As they both struggle with their senses of humanity during their school years from different angles, they cling to each other desperately. In the end, their connection makes them more whole.

## Quotes

**Natsume** — *"When you try to sleep at night, I'll whisper all of your worst fears to you."*

**Tsumugi** — *"Well, then, I'm gonna get the best sleep in my life because you have an amazingly soothing voice, Natsume."*

— Pleiades Night, Monologue Pt.2

**Natsume** *— "I'll stay by your side until death do us part. "*

**Natsume** — *"Wait a second. Now it sounds like I'm proposing to you."*

— Pleiades Night, Monologue Pt.2

**Natsume** — *“I don't want you to get the wrong idea, but I'll say this — I love you, and there's no need to feel uneasy at all.”*

**Tsumugi** — *”I love you too, Natsume-chan!”*

— Next Door, Open World Pt.4

## Trivia

* They have watched the x files together, slept together, fed each other, took baths together, said i love you to each other
* In *Pleiades Night* Tsumugi went to sleep with Natsume in the secret room since he believed he would feel lonely (and he did feel lonely, even getting mad at Subaru for having a pajama party with Tsumugi and Sora without him) and Natsume ended up falling asleep in his lap
* Tsumugi came to watch his class show and filmed him because he was proud of him
* Natsume was upset he couldn't go watch tsumugi at book fair
* In *Wonder Game* Natsume tied up Tsumugi. He explained Sora he wouldn't actually tied Tsumugi in a way that would injure him and added that bind and dominate are the core of BDSM. Tsumugi got surprised and asked if that was SM because that means Natsume was showing him affection.
* Tsumugi said he's been under Natsume's spell this whole time
* Tsumugi gave Natsume a handmade cat plushie for his birthday so he wouldn't feel lonely after moving into the dorms
* Everytime Tsumugi isn't around Sora says Natsume's colour is "lonely"
* Natsume thinks Tsumugi is one of his beloved Nii-san he doesn't want to lose
* Natsume always complains about Tsumugi not sharing his burdens with him and both of them have stated to each other that they want to share and solve their problems together
* In *Tri-Lights* Tsumugi said he chose the name "Switch" because he wanted to switch Natsume's depressive mood after the war