The lights felt brighter now.
Too bright.
The second i stepped onto the rehearsal stage, it was like every eye in the room forgot how to blink.
My name wasn't even on the schedule.
They weren't expecting me.
And honestly? I wasn't ready for them either.
But i stood there, chin high, back straight, like I hadn't spent the last few weeks hiding behind someone else's hoodie, cooking dinner with someone who smiled with his whole face, and falling asleep beside the one person who never asked me to be anything other than… me.
Now, I was back.
Back in this world of controlled breathing, sharp lines, glossy lips, and eyes that judged before you even said a word.
"Is that…?"
"Cassandra?"
"I thought she—?"
"She came back?"
The whispers started like waves. I ignored them.
They didn't know what i gave up to stand here again.
I walked to the center of the mirrored floor, dropped my bag by the speaker, and rolled my neck once.
"I'll take position four," I said calmly.
Everyone moved.
Like muscle memory.
Like instinct.
Because that's what i'd always been here, the center's shadow. Not the star. Not the fan-favorite.
Just the girl who never messed up her counts. The one who hit every mark. The one who vanished when the curtain dropped.
But not anymore.
Today, I danced like i had something to prove.
And maybe i did.
That i could leave… and still come back.
That love didn't make me weak. That maybe, just maybe, it made me braver.
The final beat hit.
I held the pose, chest heaving, sweat trailing down my spine, and the studio dropped into silence.
Then — slow claps.
From the director. From the main choreographer. Even from that one backup dancer who hated me for some reason i still don't understand.
"Welcome back, Cassandra," the coach finally said. "We missed your fire."
I almost laughed.
If only they knew the fire i left behind just to be here.
After rehearsal, the usual crowd of assistants and stylists tried to swarm me, but i slipped past them before anyone could ask anything.
The hallway felt longer than usual.
My heart was in my throat.
I tugged my cap lower.
No one could know.
Not yet.
Because if even one person found out… they'd spin it. Twist it. Use it against him. Against us.
So i walked fast, heels clicking, hoodie up, bag on my shoulder.
And then i saw him.
Standing by the far exit, just beyond the parking area. Back against a lamppost. Head tilted up toward the sky like he had all the time in the world.
Ken.
Ken was waiting for me.
And the world tilted a little.
He hadn't called.
Hadn't texted.
We agreed — no contact while i was working. For our safety. For the illusion.
But he still came.
I didn't even think.
I just ran.
Not the dramatic movie kind of run.
The desperate kind.
The please don't leave before i get to you kind.
"Ken," I whispered the second I reached him.
He looked down. And smiled.
"I told you i'd wait."
My chest cracked wide open.
"What if someone saw you?" I asked in a harsh whisper.
"I stayed by the street," he shrugged. "Far enough to look like i was just… a guy waiting for his ride."
"Ken…"
"I just wanted to see you," he said. "Just once. After your first day."
"You still waited," I said again. Like it didn't make sense. Like the world wasn't allowed to give me something this good.
"Of course i did," he replied. "You're my favorite part of the day."
And God, that ruined me.
Because i knew i couldn't hold him.
Not now.
Not with the cameras around.
Not with the rumors just waiting to be born.
So i just stood there.
Five feet apart.
Fighting the urge to reach for him.
To hold him like he was still mine.
"Are you okay?" he asked, softer now. Like he could see the tears i refused to shed.
I nodded. "I am now."
He reached into his jacket and pulled out a small paper bag.
"Comfort food," he said. "Taho and siomai. Don't tell your dietician."
I laughed. Too loud. Too real.
"I missed you," I blurted out before I could stop myself.
Ken stepped forward. Just a little. Close enough that i could smell his cologne again — the scent that made my chest ache.
"You don't have to say it," he murmured. "Just… take care of yourself."
I nodded.
And that was it.
He walked away.
No kiss.
No hug.
Just a look.
The kind that said everything we couldn't say out loud.
And i stood there, holding the paper bag to my chest like it was something sacred.
I was back.
But a part of me still lived in the rain.
Still reached for him in the quiet.
Still whispered his name when no one else was listening.