The final note of the song hung in the air like a whispered secret, slowly dissolving into a heavy, expectant silence. For a heartbeat, the entire hall held its breath.

Then—thunderous applause exploded, shaking the walls backstage. Under the glare of the spotlight, Kira—no, Luna—stood motionless. Her face was hidden behind a sleek black mask, her expression unreadable. The cheers and flashing lights surrounded her like a storm, but inside, she felt only stillness.

She bowed once—graceful, distant—and turned away from the blinding world of the stage.

Backstage, Renn was already waiting.

"Luna, that was—" he began, practically glowing. "That was amazing, seriously! You’ve got people crying out there."

"Did you handle the press?" Kira asked, her voice cool.

Renn blinked at her flat tone. "Uh… yeah. I told them absolutely not—no interviews. But come on, you can’t just disappear right after that."

Kira pulled out her earpiece. "I’m going home."

Renn sighed. "No afterparty? Not even a quick drink? You’re such a sneaky little ghost."

She gave him a glance that said enough. He threw up his hands.

Without another word, she disappeared into the shadows.

---

In her room, Hanae curled up on her bed. The room was quiet except for the soft hum of rain outside. Her cheek still stung from earlier, but what hurt more was her mother’s voice, still ringing in her ears.

But Hanae gripped her pillow tighter.

"She’s my big sister," she whispered. " I don’t care what anyone says."

She unlocked her phone and typed a message with trembling fingers:

---

Kira sat in the backseat of a dark car, gazing out the window. Her phone vibrated. A message lit up the screen:

Hanae: "Are you okay?"

She stared at it, motionless. Her thumb hovered for a second… then the screen dimmed. No reply.

The passenger door opened and Renn slid into the front seat, brushing rain from his jacket.

"You all set for tomorrow?" he asked casually.

Kira nodded. "No distractions."

"You’re always like this, you know?" he said, chuckling. "You're so serious. Idol mode, twenty-four seven."

She didn’t answer.

Renn leaned back with a sigh. "You're not a robot, you know. You can say  thanks for your hard work once in a while."

Still nothing.

"Alright, Queen," he muttered under his breath, "you win again, and let's meet tommorow in our same cafe."

"Okay.." She Said.

---

In the dark of his cluttered hideout, lit only by screens and LED lights, Kairos sat at his desk. His screens glowed before him. On one: Luna. On the other: Kira.

He tapped his pen against the desk, eyes scanning Their Every details from the images.

"That song… how nostalgic," he murmured. "Feels familiar, like a memory."

He switched back to Luna’s performance, watching every movement, every flicker of emotion behind the mask.

A smirk curled on his lips as he leaned closer to the screen.

---

To be continued…