"Kaede, hurry up! We're going to miss the concert and Risa's already waiting at the station!" Yukina shouted, leaning against the doorframe of her apartment. Her tone carried urgency, amplified by the fact that the clock had struck 4 PM, leaving them with little time to reach the venue by 6 PM.

  Kaede, who had been fumbling with her bag, quickly threw on her shoes and bolted out of her apartment. "I'm coming, I'm coming!" she excimed, slightly out of breath. The two girls dashed towards the station, their footsteps echoing through the corridor.

  By the time they reached the station, the clock read 4:30 PM. Yukina and Kaede scanned the crowd, searching for any sign of Risa, but there was none. "Where is she? Yukina, can you call her?" Kaede asked, her voice tinged with frustration.

  Yukina nodded and pulled out her phone, dialing Risa’s number. After a few rings, she shook her head. "She’s not answering. If she doesn’t show up in five minutes, you should go ahead, Kaede. I’ll wait for her."

  Kaede hesitated. "You sure?"

  Yukina gave her a reassuring nod. "Yes, go ahead. We can’t risk all of us being te."

  Just as Kaede was about to agree, Yukina’s sharp eyes spotted a familiar figure sprinting towards them. "There she is!"

  Risa, clutching a bag stuffed with something unidentifiable, skidded to a stop in front of them, panting. "I’m so, so sorry! I lost track of time while—"

  "No time for excuses! Let’s go!" Kaede interrupted, grabbing Risa by the wrist and dragging her toward the ptform. Yukina followed close behind, muttering under her breath, "We’re cutting it way too close."

  By the time they boarded the train, it was already 4:50 PM. Kaede leaned back in her seat with a sigh. "We’re barely going to make it..." she muttered.

  Yukina, ever the opportunist, smirked. "Funny, wasn’t it you who swore up and down yesterday that you didn’t want to come?"

  Kaede flushed and looked away. "That was different."

  Risa, meanwhile, pulled something out of her bag with an air of triumph. "Well, I wouldn’t have been te if it weren’t for this masterpiece. Look!"

  She held up a homemade banner. Kaede’s jaw dropped in horror when she saw what it said: "KA-E-DE LOVES MIREI!"

  "What the heck is that?!" Kaede excimed, her voice rising an octave.

  Risa grinned mischievously. "It’s brilliant, isn’t it? In a sea of thousands of fans waving generic Mirei banners, this will definitely get her attention!"

  "Are you insane?!" Kaede hissed, gncing nervously around the train as if someone might overhear. "Why would you put my name on it? I’m not even in the group!"

  Risa crossed her arms, looking smug. "Exactly. That’s the genius of it. Mirei will see it and think, ‘Why does Kaede have her own banner?’ It’s unique! It’ll stand out!"

  Yukina chuckled, nodding in agreement. "She’s got a point. It’s unconventional but effective."

  Kaede buried her face in her hands. "I can’t believe I’m friends with you two."

  But as much as she wanted to argue, a small part of her couldn’t deny that Risa’s logic made sense. Her heart raced at the thought of Mirei noticing her in the crowd. No! Stop it, she scolded herself.

  By the time they reached the station near the venue, it was 5:45 PM. The trio bolted out of the train and sprinted toward the concert hall, dodging through crowds of excited fans. By the time they reached the entrance, they were breathless but relieved.

  "Made it... with five minutes to spare," Risa gasped, clutching her knees.

  Kaede gred at her. "Barely. If we’d been one minute ter, they might not have let us in!"

  "Well, we’re here now, aren’t we? Let’s focus on that!" Risa shot back, still panting.

  Thankfully, as invited guests, they bypassed the massive line of regur attendees and were quickly ushered inside. When they found their seats, they were stunned.

  "These seats are incredible," Risa said, looking around with wide eyes. "We’re practically in the center with a perfect view of the stage."

  Kaede nodded, equally impressed. "Mirei really pulled some strings for us."

  Yukina grinned and elbowed Kaede. "See? Told you she still cares about you."

  Kaede tried to hide her flustered expression. "Whatever. Just give me a minute to calm down."

  Risa pulled out her infamous banner and thrust it toward Kaede. "Here, you hold it."

  "No way!" Kaede recoiled, shaking her head. "I’m not holding that thing!"

  "Oh, come on! It’s for Mirei!" Risa argued, trying to shove it into Kaede’s hands.

  "Absolutely not!" Kaede hissed, gncing around nervously as if someone might see.

  Their bickering was cut short as the lights in the venue suddenly dimmed. The crowd erupted into cheers, and Kaede froze.

  "It’s starting," Yukina whispered, her voice tinged with excitement.

  The opening music boomed through the hall, and a spotlight illuminated the stage. One by one, the members of Celestial appeared, their silhouettes outlined against the dazzling lights. The crowd roared, waving their light sticks in synchronized motions.

  Kaede’s breath hitched as her eyes nded on Mirei. Dressed in a stunning outfit that sparkled under the stage lights, Mirei looked every bit the star she had always been. Her smile radiated confidence, and her movements were effortless as she greeted the fans with her signature charm.

  Kaede felt a lump form in her throat. Without realizing it, tears welled up in her eyes and began streaming down her cheeks.

  Yukina noticed and pced a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Kaede... you okay?"

  Kaede wiped at her face hastily, trying to compose herself. "Yeah. It’s just... it’s been so long. Seeing her like this, it’s overwhelming."

  Risa, for once, said nothing. She simply smiled, understanding the unspoken emotions Kaede was experiencing.

  As the performance began, Kaede couldn’t take her eyes off Mirei. Every move, every note, every smile—it was as if Mirei was shining brighter than anyone else on that stage.

  In that moment, Kaede felt a mixture of pride, longing, and something she couldn’t quite put into words. But one thing was certain: Mirei was exactly where she needed to be.