Tomorrow marked Mirei's birthday, it means a month had passed since Mirei and Kaede parted ways. For the fans, it was a reason to celebrate, an annual livestream event filled with ughter and joy. But for Mirei, it was just another day to push through, a day that felt emptier than the ones before. She and Kaede had lost contact completely. Mirei made sure of it the day she blocked Kaede, though it didn't stop her from gncing at her phone te at night, fingers hovering over the block list. She never unblocked her but wondered if Kaede might have tried to reach out, just once more.

  She couldn’t stop herself from gncing at Kaede’s apartment building whenever she passed it on her way to work. It was along her route to the agency, just a few streets away from the Celestial dorm.

  Every time she neared the building, her eyes wandered toward the balcony. “She used to water her pnts around this time,” Mirei thought, her heart aching with the memory. She had caught herself murmuring these things, desperate to justify her need to look, to hope. But Kaede never appeared.

  Work had become Mirei’s sole soce. Celestial’s schedule was overwhelming—rehearsals for their upcoming solo concert in September, promotional events for their fourth album, Eternal Bloom, and endless television appearances. It was exhausting, but Mirei welcomed it. Busy hands left no room for idle thoughts, no time to dwell on what she’d lost.

  The change in leadership had been seamless on the surface. Minami, now the leader of Celestial, handled her new responsibilities admirably. The group members questioned the sudden switch, but Mirei dismissed it with a simple lie: “I asked for it. It was too much for me.” The others seemed to buy it, though Minami wasn’t convinced.

  It was during a rare quiet moment between rehearsals when Minami approached Mirei, her expression hesitant but determined. “Mirei, do you have a minute?”

  Mirei nodded, wiping sweat from her brow. “Sure, Minami. What’s up?”

  Minami fidgeted slightly, her voice dropping to a whisper. “I… I’ve been wanting to ask you something, but I wasn’t sure if it’s okay.” Mirei raised an eyebrow but gestured for her to continue. “I was just wondering… about you and Kaede. How did it… you know, happen?”

  Mirei stiffened, the question catching her off guard. She looked away, her voice quieter than usual. “Why do you want to know?”

  “I just…” Minami hesitated before sighing. “I know how much you loved her. I guess I’m just curious. It all seemed so sudden, and… I don’t know, I thought you two were happy.”

  Mirei exhaled deeply, crossing her arms as she leaned against the wall. “There were paparazzi,” she said after a moment, her voice steady but bitter. “They got photos of us together. They threatened to leak them. The agency found out, and… well, you know how it is.”

  Minami’s eyes widened. “Paparazzi? That’s insane!”

  Mirei let out a dry ugh. “It’s the price of being in the spotlight. I should’ve been more careful. It’s my fault, really.”

  “But still…” Minami’s voice softened. “That’s so cruel. You didn’t deserve that.”

  “It doesn’t matter now,” Mirei said, forcing a small smile. “It’s done. I made my choice.”

  Minami hesitated, then reached out to pce a hand on Mirei’s shoulder. “I’m sorry. For what it’s worth, I think you handled it better than most people would’ve. And… thank you.”

  “Thank you?” Mirei blinked, confused.

  “For trusting me,” Minami said with a shy smile. “You didn’t have to tell me all that, but you did. It means a lot.”

  Mirei felt a warmth in her chest that she hadn’t felt in weeks. “Thanks, Minami,” Mirei said suddenly, her voice soft and warm.

  Minami blinked, surprised. “For what?”

  Mirei looked down, a small, shy smile tugging at her lips. “For asking, and not judging me from the very first moment you knew about my retionship with Kaede. So I don’t feel really alone as I still have someone to talk to about these things.”

  Minami’s heart skipped a beat. She had never seen Mirei like this before—vulnerable and sincere. “N-no problem,” she stammered, trying to hide her flustered expression. “We’re a team, best friends after all. Moreover, I’m your leader now… I’ll do as much as you did as leader before.”

  Mirei smiled at her again, this time brighter. “Thanks a lot, really.”

  Minami felt butterflies in her stomach but quickly pushed them aside. “Let’s go back. We have more things to do.”

  Mirei nodded, her smile fading as they returned to the others.

  ---

  That night, after an exhausting practice session, the members of Celestial walked back to their dorm together. The air was filled with chatter and ughter, mostly Ayumi and Hikari teasing each other. Mirei stayed at the back of the group, her thoughts elsewhere.

  As they passed Kaede’s apartment building, Mirei’s steps slowed. Her eyes drifted to the familiar balcony, the one she’d stolen countless gnces at over the past month. But something was different. The light was off.

  “Yesterday, it was still on,” Mirei murmured to herself, her heart sinking.

  Minami, who had been walking beside her, stopped and followed her gaze. She recognized the building immediately. “Mirei…” she said gently, pcing a hand on Mirei’s arm.

  “She’s gone, isn’t she?” Mirei’s voice cracked slightly, and she quickly cleared her throat. “She must’ve moved out.”

  Minami hesitated before responding. “Maybe… maybe she just forgot to turn the light on. Or maybe it’s broken.”

  Mirei wanted to believe her, but the ache in her chest told her otherwise. “Yeah,” she said softly. “Maybe.”

  Minami sighed, her heart aching for her friend. She could see the pain Mirei tried so hard to hide, the love she still carried for Kaede. But there was nothing she could do to ease it.

  As they continued walking, Mirei gnced over her shoulder one st time. The balcony was dark, silent, and unyielding. A part of her wished she’d see Kaede standing on the balcony. But she knew that was just a dream—a dream she could no longer afford to chase.

  In the quiet of her dorm room that night, Mirei stared at her phone. Her birthday was hours away, and messages from fans and friends were already pouring in. But there was only one message she wanted to see, one name that would never appear on her screen again.

  She closed her eyes, her heart heavy. “Kaede…” she whispered into the darkness.

  Outside, the city buzzed with life, but inside Mirei’s heart, there was only silence.

  ---

  Minami, lying awake in her own room, thought about Mirei. She had seen the way Mirei’s eyes lingered on Kaede’s apartment, the way her voice wavered whenever she spoke about her. It was clear that Mirei still loved Kaede deeply, so much that there was no room in her heart for anyone else.

  As much as Minami wished to be the one to comfort Mirei, she knew she couldn’t repce what Kaede had meant to her. For now, all she could do was stand by Mirei’s side, even if it meant her own feelings would remain unspoken.