The heavy rain had finally stopped, but the night air was still damp as Celestial finished their performance. Exhausted yet satisfied, the members rushed backstage, towels wrapped around their shoulders as they tried to dry themselves. The atmosphere was a mix of relief and fatigue, their bodies sore from the repeated falls on the slippery stage.

Minami, as the leader, made sure everyone was taken care of before turning her attention to Mirei. She had noticed something off about her during the performance—something more than just nerves. Slowly, she approached Mirei, lowering her voice so the others wouldn’t hear.

“I saw it.”

Mirei, still toweling her hair, blinked in confusion. “Saw what?”

Minami leaned in, her voice barely above a whisper. “You were crying.”

Mirei stiffened. She thought she had hidden it well, blending her tears into the rain, but Minami had always been observant.

“H-how…?”

“I’ve been keeping an eye on you,” Minami admitted. “Lately, with your panic attacks and everything, I’ve been worried. So I pay attention.”

Mirei bit her lip. She had always been good at masking her emotions, at keeping her pain locked away. But Minami had seen through her.

Minami crossed her arms. “Why? Was it because performing in the rain was too much?”

Mirei shook her head. “That’s not it.”

“Then what is it?” Minami pushed.

Mirei hesitated. How could she tell Minami the truth? That she had been crying because of Kaede? Because of the sight of her ex-girlfriend standing in the audience, wearing a smile that wasn’t meant for her?

Minami sighed, frustration creeping into her voice. “Mirei, if you don’t talk to me, how are we supposed to help you? You’re only making things worse by keeping everything bottled up.”

Mirei clenched her fists. Minami was right. She had been running from her feelings, pretending she was fine, when in reality, she was breaking.

“…I’m sorry,” Mirei finally said. “Can we talk in private later?”

Minami softened. “Of course. Whenever you’re ready.”

---

That night, in the quiet of Mirei’s dorm room, the two sat across from each other. Minami waited patiently, letting Mirei gather her thoughts.

“…I was crying because I saw Kaede,” Mirei finally admitted.

Minami leaned back, exhaling. “I figured.”

Mirei looked down at her hands, gripping the fabric of her pajama pants. “She was with someone else. And I—I know it’s not my place to feel this way anymore, but it hurt. So much.”

Minami remained silent, allowing Mirei to continue.

“It’s been four months since I broke up with her, but every single day, I still miss her. I still look for her in the crowd everytime, even when I know I shouldn’t. And the worst part? The more I tried to push her away from my life, the more I want to run back to her.” Mirei’s voice cracked, her tears overflowing and her hands trembled. “I—I just—”

Minami sighed and pulled Mirei into a firm hug. “Calm down. Take a deep breath.”

Mirei shut her eyes, inhaling shakily. The warmth of Minami’s embrace grounded her. After a few minutes, she felt stable enough to continue.

Through her tears, Mirei choked out, "It hurts so much everytime I saw her, she always smiled at me, but I kept pushing her away. I've become selfish, wanting to keep her to stay by my side, but my actions never matched what was truly in my heart. And in the end... I was the one who hurt her the most. I feel so lost right now..."

Minami waited patiently for Mirei to express her feelings. After a few minutes, Minami looking at her. “You know, I noticed it too. You’ve been losing yourself since the breakup.”

After a brief pause, Minami continued. “You’ve been trying so hard to be ‘professional’ that you’ve become a shell of yourself. You hide behind work, mask your feelings, and pretend everything is fine when it’s not. You didn't just distance yourself from Kaede—you pulled away from all of us too."

Mirei swallowed hard. She hadn’t realized how much of herself she had lost. She thought she had been strong, but in reality, she had just been running away.

“You’re right,” Mirei admitted, her voice small.

Minami raised an eyebrow. “Mirei, have you ever told Kaede the real reason you broke up with her?”

Mirei froze.

“…No.”

Minami’s expression darkened. “Why?”

Mirei hesitated. “…Because I wanted her to hate me. If she blamed me for the one-sided break up. It might really hurt at first, but I thought she wouldn't linger in too much sadness for a long time, she could move on easier... that's what I thought.”

Minami’s jaw dropped. “You—” She groaned, rubbing her temples. “You’re insane.”

“I know.”

“You’re stupid.”

“I know.”

Minami let out a long breath. “So let me get this straight. You broke up with her because of the paparazzi threat, but instead of telling her the truth, you made her think it was your fault?”

Mirei looked away. “Yes.”

Minami grabbed a pillow and smacked Mirei over the head. “You absolute idiot.”

Mirei yelped, rubbing her head. “Hey!”

Minami rolled her eyes. “And now you’re the one who can’t move on. Karma, huh?”

Mirei let out a humorless laugh. “Yeah. Guess I deserve it.”

Minami smirked. “So what happens if she really hates you now?”

Mirei flopped onto the bed dramatically. “I’ll cry a river and kill myself.”

Minami chuckled. “Look at you. Pathetic.”

Mirei groaned. “I know.”

The laughter faded, and silence filled the room. After a while, Minami spoke again, her voice softer this time. “This feels more like the Mirei I know. The real you. Not the robot you’ve been pretending to be.”

Mirei smiled.

Minami sighed again, but this time, there was a hint of amusement in her expression. “So, what’s your plan now? Keep running away forever?”

Mirei shook her head. “I don't want to run away anymore.”

Minami took a deep breath. “Here’s what I think—you need to tell Kaede the truth first, before she really does end up hating you. She deserves to know what really happened.”

Mirei hesitated. “But the agency—”

“The agency won’t stop you from being friends with another artist,” Minami interrupted. “Just play it smart. You don’t have to break any rules, make it look a natural friendship to public. Let her know you still care about her, even if it’s under the guise of friendship.”

Mirei’s eyes widened with realization. “You’re right… If I approach her as a friend, no one will suspect anything.”

Minami smirked. “Exactly. And besides, Kaede and her band are getting popular now. The fans would actually love seeing you two interact. If we play this smoothly, you won’t have to keep running or hiding anymore. You could stay by her side without worrying.”

Mirei looked at Minami, gratitude shining in her eyes. “Thank you, Minami. I’ll handle this properly. No more running—I’ll make things right.”

Minami smiled, her tone softening. "Good. And remember, I'll be here to support you with Kaede from now on."

Mirei felt a spark of hope. “Thank you, Minami. Really.”

Minami looked at Mirei with a knowing gaze. “How about your anxiety? Did she know?”

Mirei shook her head. “She... doesn’t know yet.”

Minami sighed, crossing her arms. “You really have a lot of homework to do.”

Mirei let out a small chuckle, determination settling in her eyes. “I know. I’ll tell her everything and be honest with her—just like before.”

Minami felt a deep sense of guilt for not being by Mirei’s side before. She had initially thought Mirei was being unprofessional, too caught up in personal emotions when they had a duty to their fans and careers. But now, seeing how much Mirei had been struggling, how she had slowly lost herself while trying to follow the rules, Minami realized just how ridiculous those rules were. They weren’t just idols; they were human. They had feelings, desires, and emotions just like anyone else.

Minami let out a bittersweet sigh. “This industry is harsh. They tell us we can’t fall in love, like we’re some kind of dolls. But we’re human too.”

With a sigh, Minami leaned back in her seat, glancing at Mirei, who still looked downcast. "You know," she started, voice softer now, "I used to think these rules made sense. That they were there to protect us. But now… I don’t know. It sounds ridiculous. Like, why are we so afraid of showing our feelings?"

Mirei let out a bitter chuckle. She covered her face with her hands, her voice muffled. "I thought I was doing the right thing… and at the same time, it just feels so wrong. One day I just wish people understood that. We’re just like any other teenagers, making mistakes, falling in love.”

Minami smiled. “Yeah. I hope we could change the perspective of the idol industry about this someday.”

Mirei nodded, "I hope so."

---

As the night grew quiet, Mirei stared at the ceiling, determination growing in her heart. She had spent four months running. It was time to face Kaede again.

Mirei sighed softly, her voice filled with uncertainty. "I hope I'm not too late to fix things with her. Please wait for me... Kaede."