---
*"Did… did he just apologize?"*
Nao muttered under her breath, barely aware she'd said it out loud—yet, somehow, he heard her.
Nathan's face twisted, not in guilt, but in confusion. Annoyance.
"Do I look like some monster? And who the hell are you to judge?"
Her brows lifted. "Hmm... kind of," she replied flatly, but with a tinge of teasing.
Though in her mind, her thoughts were colder:
*You did try to kill that kid earlier today.*
Nathan glared at her a moment longer, then turned and walked off without another word.
Nao blinked.
*Why did he look at me like that?*
---
*Three Days Later – The Grand Hall*
The atmosphere was heavy with anticipation.
The grand, domed theater stood empty except for five figures seated at the frontmost row in the V.I.P section. Their suits were tailored, their expressions unreadable. In front of each of them sat an official evaluation form.
These were the *Executives of W.W.M.*—*World Wide Musical*. Their presence alone turned this from a school review into something closer to a life-changing audition.
Imperial Arts was under the spotlight. One mistake, one bad note, and a dream could shatter like glass.
Backstage, Nao adjusted the bow at the base of her neck. Her dress was a deep pearl white, delicate and flowing like moonlight. Ria held onto her shoulders firmly.
"You're going to do great," she said, eyes sparkling with belief.
Nao gave a small, nervous smile. "Thanks."
---
*On Stage*
As she stepped onto the wooden floor, a blinding spotlight hit her. All she could see now were the outlines of the executives and the dull glow of their pens poised over paper.
Her co-lead stood waiting.
*Kim Joon.*
*He's still here?*
Nao's thoughts scattered for a second.
*Even for the most important review, the so-called 'main lead' is still missing?*
From the V.I.P seats, a soft gasp.
"Viki got a twin?" asked *Mrs. Grace*, Executive Rank 6.
"Not exactly, ma'am," Mrs. Marion said with a small bow. "This one's a completely different fire."
Mrs. Grace leaned forward, intrigued. "Interesting."
Across the hall, seated with her clique in the shadows of the auditorium, *Viki's brows furrowed*. Her nails dug into the silk of her gown.
---
The music started.
Soft string instruments echoed into the air.The stage flickered into movement. The opening waltz between Nao and Kim flowed smoothly, her movements graceful, her face composed. She blocked out her nerves, focused entirely on the rhythm.
As she let herself get swirled by the music and steps she took.
Kim on the other hand was doing great leading her into the soft tone of the violin.
She didn't look at the audience. Not once.
She didn't need their eyes.
*Scene 1 ended -a little dance show that represented the dead woman who owns the song love story.*
The lights dimmed. A beat of silence.
*Scene 2 began.*
The piano entered first—thrilling, vibrant. Then came the violin, sharp and elegant like painted glass. The lights bloomed on stage, one by one:
—*Ria*, standing in her emerald gown, her hand gripping the microphone with poise.
—*Zara*, from D-x, her harmony layering gently beneath Ria's tone.
—*Nao*, now changed into a midnight-blue dress that shimmered with each step.
The three voices merged like colors on a single canvas, drawing everyone in with haunting harmony.
Then—
*BAM!*
The drums cut everything to silence.
Total blackout.
Then slowly, a pizzicato violin began, notes plucked with eerie precision. The lights returned—but now only on *Nao*.
The moment was hers.
She took a deep breath.
And she began to sing.
Her voice carried softly at first, like someone singing a lullaby to the stars. Her tone was steady. Vulnerable. Raw.
The executives leaned forward, scribbling."Damn... she's really good," Tashiba whispered from the back row.
"Hmph," Viki scoffed, arms folded tight. Her jaw clenched.
Nao's voice rose. Her eyes sparkled not with tears—but memory. The lyrics painted a love laced in sorrow, the kind of connection that had no words, only feeling.
She remembered it.
The cold night sky over that broken bridge.
The warmth of Kaze's laughter in the summer woods.
The silence that came after he left.
Every word matched her timeline.
*An unfated relationship that somehow still felt fated.*
And as the light poured onto her like a spotlight from the heavens, *she sang that pain*.
Not for the executives.
Not for her peers.
Not even for her future.
*But for herself.*
---
*8 Years Ago*
"*Camping?*"
Nao tilted her head, visibly confused.
"What—*impossible!* You've never been camping before?"
Kaze laughed as if he couldn't believe it.
Nao pouted. "My family's too poor for that stuff, anyway."
Kaze paused, then grinned. "Well, good thing my family's going today. I asked Mom if we could take you—and she said yes!"
He slung an arm around her small shoulders like it was the most natural thing in the world.
Nao's face flushed a soft pink. She bit her lip and looked away, still pouting—but not entirely unhappy.
—
*Later That Day – The Campsite*
The scent of pine, the flicker of the campfire, and the chirps of distant crickets made everything feel like a dream.
"Nao! Nao! Come here! Check this out!"
Kaze called out, pointing to the ground behind a tree with exaggerated seriousness.
Nao rushed over, crouched curiously to see what he was pointing at—
*Splash!*
Cold water splashed over her face.
"*Hahahaha!*"
Kaze burst into uncontrollable laughter, clutching his stomach.
"You should've seen your face! Ahaha—you look like a soggy cat!"
"You little brat!"
Nao launched at him, jumping on his back and dragging at his hair.
"OWW! Naooo!! Okay, okay, I'm sorry!"
He tried to squirm away but ended up tripping, the two of them crashing to the grass in a tangle of limbs and laughter.
*It was perfect.*
---
A calm, older voice echoed quietly—*Nao's own*:
*"I liked Kaze ever since the first day we met..."*
—
*The Day They Met – 2nd Grade*
"The class seating arrangement will be shuffled this instant for the test," the teacher said, flipping through her attendance book.
"You'll each pick a number. Whoever draws the number directly after yours will be your seatmate. For example, 1 and 2, 3 and 4, and so on. Everyone, form a line."
Nao watched the other kids eagerly run to the box filled with balled-up papers.
When it was her turn, she reached in slowly and unfolded the paper: *"24."*
She scanned the room nervously.
That's when *he* stepped up. A boy with a bright smile, messy black hair, and eyes full of mischief.
"I'm 23," he said, grinning. "Looks like we're stuck together."
*Kaze.*
That was the beginning.
---
*The last day they met*
They had grown. And life had grown heavier with them.
"Are you sure you're fine?" Nao asked quietly. Her eyes searched his face."Yh," he replied, avoiding her gaze. His voice lacked its usual spark.
"Promise to text back when you get home?" she said.
He smiled softly. "Yh… I promise."
That was the last time she saw him.
—
*The Day After*
Nao waited.
And waited.
She stared at her phone for hours.
No text. No call.
She tried calling.
*"This line is no longer reachable."*
Every day after that, she walked by the neighborhood streets hoping he'd appear again—messy hair, wide grin, pulling another stupid prank.
But he didn't.
Weeks passed. Then months.
And still—nothing.
---
4 months ago.
"I waited for you," Nao whispered as her fingers touched the faded photo of the two of them from that camping trip.
"I waited for days. Then weeks. I thought maybe you lost your phone. Or maybe you forgot my number. I thought a hundred excuses... But deep down, I was scared."
Scared she'd been forgotten.
She clutched the photo to her chest, tears threatening again.
"I just wanted you to come back, Kaze… even just once."
---