Now that Rui's chapter is out in the wild, it's time to turn down the lights, get out your warm beverage of choice, and settle down with our dearest autumn breeze. It's Akikaze Rui hours. 🍂🍁🍩 
First off, consider this: in each previous chapter, we saw Rui being tempted by the lure of other girls and other clubs--literally half (if not all) of Rinmeikan was throwing themselves at her now that she was a free agent untied from the Acting Department.
It was surprising that we didn’t see Tamao come face-to-face with Rui like she did with the other three girls in the Acting Department--Tamao had to literally beg for Fumi’s and Ichie’s help, and Yuyuko was the one begging to Tamao to let her join.
But here, both Rui and Tamao came to an understanding of Rui’s place atop the stage without any necessary back-and-forth. Although Tamao tried her best to chase off Rui in the earlier chapters, here she relented instantly and called her forth.
On top of this, we learn that not only was it Yuyuko who wrote Rui’s leap onto the stage into the Rinmeikan Record script (because Yuyuko sees, hears, and knows all), but Tamao ALSO helped with this part as well. That’s an unspeakably deep level of trust.
In Rui’s chapter, we see Rui’s utter loyalty to the stage and to Tamao reinforced--she alone is the one who throws off the shackles of temptation, merely by seeing Tamao’s performance atop the roof--exactly like in her younger days, when Tamao’s acting guided her to the stage.
In earlier chapters, we saw that Rui is suited for many things--she’s a tall, popular girl, desired by countless clubs and other students for her athleticism, height, and gallant demeanor. But she truly has the heart for only one place--on the stage, at Tamao’s side.
When Tamao calls Rui in her iconic line: 塁ちゃん, 来なさい！she’s commanding Rui to come, like an upperclassman to her junior. As Rui rushes to meet her, Tamao is squaring her shoulders and calling Rui forth as hers, and hers alone--none of the other clubs were able to keep her.
Lastly, Rui is seeing the culmination of a chase that began for her in middle school--often, Rui talks of chasing, and of standing equal. As Rinmeikan’s story unfolds, we’re seeing the chase end--Rui is becoming a drawn blade, a true Stage Girl worthy of being at Tamao’s side. 🦋
