[Raiquèn's POV]
Time flies so quickly. With just a blink of an eye, there are only four days left before the final play.
Today is the last day of our rehearsal, and I still can't believe how much time has passed since we started practicing for it.
"Rai-san!"
Himeko called out to me. I turned to see her and gave her a warm smile, as always.
"I'll be heading off first, 'kayyy?"
"Sure thing. Take care, alright?"
I waved back at her. She still hasn't changed, even though almost a month has already passed. She's still as lively as ever—unlike her brother, Hachi, who's always stern and serious.
Though, Hachi does tease me sometimes… which is rare, I think?
I sighed and brushed the thought away when another staff member called out to me.
"Ms. Raiquèn."
"Yes?"
"For your measurements, would it be okay for you to head down the right corridor and take them once again?"
"Oh? Sure thing."
"Thank you."
I smiled and nodded before grabbing my things.
"Good work, everyone!"
I bowed my head slightly to the other staff and gave them a smile as I left the rehearsal room.
Just then, my phone buzzed—it was Hachi calling.
"Hachi~ you don't need to pick me up," I said as I answered.
"Why? You do know reporters are gathering outside the theater right now, right?"
That's right—it was already announced two days ago that My Beloved Muse would be performed at La Scala Theater. So naturally, a lot of reporters and journalists have gathered outside.
"I know, I know~" I replied playfully.
"But I still have something to do, and besides, I can just take a cab."
"Hm, are you sure?"
"Yes, I'm sure, Hachi. I'll drop the call now—my phone's about to die."
"Alright. Send me a message when you get home."
I turned around a corner just as the call ended.
"Woah… my phone just turned off right after the call," I muttered.
I stared at the black screen before shoving it back into my bag, glancing down the hallway I was walking through.
"Wait… which direction did the staff give again?"
I paused and looked back to check if I was going the right way, then looked ahead again.
At the far end, I saw an open door with Dressing Room written above it.
I started heading toward it.
"Excuse… me," I said softly as I stepped inside. Surprisingly, there wasn't a single staff member around.
Do I just wait inside? But why was the door open, then?
I glanced at the door from top to bottom, then to the back of it.
Hmm, nothing seems unusual… I'll just wait here.
I walked to the nearest couch and slumped onto the soft cushions.
"Hah… tiring…" I whispered, leaning my head back and feeling the plush comfort of the couch.
...
"Raiquèn…"
I heard a soft voice calling out to me.
Huh? Seems like I fell asleep…
Slowly, I opened my eyes, still blurry from sleep. I yawned and stretched my arms as my vision gradually adjusted.
Then I looked at the figure standing beside me. She wore a coat over a black turtleneck and wide trousers.
"Eh…?"
I blinked several times, staring at the mismatched eyes looking down at me.
"Yeira…?" I asked, my voice still groggy.
Was I still dreaming? Wait—didn't I come here to get my measurements done?
Ah… I must've fallen asleep.
"As much as I didn't want to wake you up," Yeira began, her tone calm, "I have to let you know that the theater's closing soon."
She glanced down at me before I followed her gaze to the slightly open door behind her—and then to the clock hanging at the center of the room.
"It's already 6:30?!"
I shot up from the couch and turned to Yeira.
"Oh—thank you, Yeira."
I bowed my head slightly in gratitude.
"It's alright," she said simply.
I started heading toward the door.
Wait—no staff came in? I thought someone was supposed to take my measurements.
Did they forget about it?
Just as I reached for the heavy door handle, Yeira suddenly spoke.
"You look like a cat when you just woke up."
Her words caught me completely off guard. Her tone was flat—I couldn't tell if she was joking or teasing. My hand flinched, and I accidentally let go of the handle.
The door shut with a thud.
"Huh?"
I turned to look at her. She was only a few paces away now, both hands tucked into her coat pockets.
She tilted her head slightly, as if she hadn't said anything at all.
"Ah—do you not like cats?" she asked.
"N-no! I do, but… that just came out of nowhere…"
Silence filled the room for a moment.
I couldn't help but chuckle softly at Yeira's innocent expression.
"We should get going," Yeira said at last.
"Right."
I turned back and reached for the door handle again, twisting it.
…
"What…"
It wouldn't twist—nor budge at all.
"What's wrong?"
Yeira stepped beside me, watching as I tried again.
"Uh…"
Panic started creeping in. I gripped the handle tighter and tried again and again.
"It won't… open."
I stepped aside as Yeira tried opening the door herself.
"You're right…" she murmured, glancing up at the door that wouldn't budge no matter how much she turned the handle.
I knew it! There must've been a reason why it was open like that!
"Gyah—! I'm sorry! I didn't know! I shouldn't have let go of the handle earlier!" I blurted out, flailing a little in panic.
Yeira turned to me, calm as ever.
"It's alright. I didn't expect something like this to happen either," she said, giving me a faint smile.
"I'll just ask Éryan for help."
She took out her phone and started typing.
Meanwhile, I still couldn't shake off the guilt crawling up my chest. I looked around the room, hoping for another way out.
No windows. No back doors. Nothing.
Hah… of course there wouldn't be. It's a dressing room.
"I already sent him a message," Yeira said after a moment, slipping her phone back into her coat pocket. "Why don't we just sit and wait?"
She gestured toward the couch — the same one I had fallen asleep on earlier.
"Alright…" I muttered softly, following her lead.
We both sat down, a small distance between us.
Silence settled in, broken only by the steady ticking of the clock hanging on the wall.
I couldn't help but still feel guilty about what happened. Now, it felt… awkward between Yeira and me.
"Rai."
"Huh? Yes?"
I turned immediately to face her. She was looking straight ahead, not directly at me. Still, the way she said my name—it made my heart flutter for reasons I couldn't quite explain.
"Can I call you that?"
She finally turned toward me, leaning forward slightly, her palm resting against her cheek.
"Of course… you can. Raiquèn is a bit long, right?"
I chuckled lightly, trying to chase away the awkwardness in the air.
Why do I always feel so nervous and fidgety whenever I'm with Yeira?
Though, deep down, I knew why.
Because I never imagined that the actress I admired since I was a kid would one day be here, sitting this close… talking to me so casually.
Yeira's eyes softened, narrowing slightly as she looked at me.
"You're so kind, Rai."
"Huh? No, no, I'm not," I quickly denied.
"But you helped those who were struggling during the play."
Ah? Has she… been observing me?
I thought she was always in her own little world—that's how she looked to me, at least.
"Haha… I mean, they asked for my help. How could I turn them down?"
"That's exactly why you're kind."
Yeira said it again, calmly and without hesitation.
I didn't understand. The expression she had—the softness in her voice—it made my chest tighten. And maybe… I didn't even understand what kind of expression I was making.
I turned my gaze away, feeling my cheeks warm in embarrassment.
Kind? No… that's not what it was.
I just helped people when they asked, if I had the time to spare. That was all.
But then again—what does being kind even mean?
My thoughts drifted, uninvited, to my past life.
Hah… why now of all times?
In that life, I only ever thought of myself.
How to survive the days, the weeks, the months, the years that passed.
I was selfish. The worst kind of person I knew.
That's why I couldn't accept Yeira's words.
"You're wrong, Yeira."
I said softly, eyes fixed on the front instead of her.
"It's not kindness. I just didn't want them to hold back the whole play."
She didn't answer at first. For a few seconds, silence filled the room—until I heard a soft, muffled laugh.
When I looked at her, she was laughing so carefree that I almost forgot to breathe.
Ah… Yeira is laughing.
"You're strange," she said between soft chuckles. "No matter what your reason is, you still helped them."
Her gaze lingered on me—gentle, unreadable—and I found myself unable to look away.