The practice show was over, thank God, but if anything, it only heightened my anxiety. If it was this intense during the damned practice, then God knows how overwhelming the real performance would be, not to mention the locals joining in for the actual show. Standing on stage, I watched our teacher whispering to the other guy. After what felt like an eternity of their chatter, both stood up, and our teacher wore a beaming grin.

  "She just loves this drama, doesn't she?" I muttered, clearly unimpressed.

  "We'll be making the final decision tomorrow. For now, everyone participating in the play, please rehearse your lines. And if you're not performing, help out with props and stage setup. No slacking," she instructed before retaking her seat.

  Aaaand Cue the murmur of student chatter.

  "Wait… Did Yuki actually get kissed?"

  "No way. She's the Ice Queen, remember?"

  "Maybe that guy did it on purpose... Probably his only shot."

  Usually, I'd care enough to snap back with a retort. But not this time. Once everything had settled and the crowd dispersed, the girls, including Yuki, had gone back to get changed, and I found myself at the back, alone on the plastic chair, the same one that earlier bore that cursed note.

  "Don't take her from me."

  It echoed in my mind like a haunting melody. I flipped through the script, pretending to be engrossed. Though I mean it doesn't really take an expert to realise that, I wasn't. What does that even mean? 'Her...' Can he be more vague? Nao? Reina? Both are blondes; you'd think a guy this unhinged would be more specific.

  And then there was her.

  Yuki.

  She hadn't said a word to her sisters. After just lightly slapping my chest instead of her usual antics, I'm not sure why she did that. Perhaps to cover her embarrassment, but just walking away... Was something very new from her? No yelling. No mocking. No drop-kicking. No glare. Just… Gone. Oddly, it reminded me of the day she learned about Saki's illness. For one brief moment, the sharp edges of her personality melted away.

  There was a softer Yuki hidden somewhere within her.

  A rare species. Like a shiny Pokémon. Impossible to catch.

  Unless… Maybe if I used a Master Ball, hehe.

  I sighed, and that's when the door creaked open behind me.

  "Congrats on surviving the hurricane."

  "That voice…" I thought, turning slowly around.

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  "Shiori?"

  There she was. Already out of costume, wearing a purple skirt and a black sweatshirt, her hair tied up. She walked over and handed me a chilled can of caramel coffee.

  Instant respect.

  Anyone who gives you a coffee after almost ruining your entire career needs to be honoured or even knighted.

  "You really came prepared," I muttered, giving her a smile. She plopped into the chair beside me, cracking her own can open like a seasoned pro. We sat in a moment of quiet, caffeine-fuelled peace before the conversation began. She admitted that Arisa had surprised her. Reina, too, with how quietly intense she had been.

  "But I wasn't expecting the last performance," Shiori expressed, arching an eyebrow. "You leaned in like a drama club veteran even after almost fumbling the entire scene. I thought I'd have to call the cops when I saw Yuki's expression."

  I chuckled. "Yeah...? I think I got lucky. Or maybe she's just waiting to catch me when I'm not expecting it." She took a long sip, then tilted her head at me before casually saying.

  "You know… I think she actually likes you."

  I spat out my coffee.

  "WHAT?!"

  Shiori jumped, holding her hands up. "No, no! Not like that! Jeez, calm down. I mean like… As a friend. Probably. Maybe."

  My brain rebooted as I stared at the ground and blinked.

  Shiori shrugged. "Girls are complicated. But I've seen her with you, and the more I do, the more it looks like she's cracking. A little. You've known her for a while, right?"

  "…Yeah, I guess not that long. But she's been nicer lately, I suppose."

  "Exactly." She smiled. "The nicer you are, the more she'll let her walls down... I think?"

  There was no need for the end, was there? Before I could process that, her expression switched to serious. It was no longer casual. Something had shifted.

  "But listen," she said, her voice dropping to a whisper. "I don't want to sound paranoid, especially what you're most likely going through, but… During the show… There was someone watching. A guy."

  My stomach tightened.

  "He sat near the back. Left right after your last performance. He didn't feel like a student. Gave me chills. I couldn't tell who he was staring at, either you or one of the girls. But whoever he was, he was focused on one of you guys; it didn't feel normal."

  A cold sweat prickled my neck.

  Shit.

  It's the same guy.

  I nodded in response. "Thanks. I've noticed him, too, since day one. I haven't caught him yet. I'm not sure what his intentions are, but whatever it is… I will find out and maybe give him a punch or two."

  "Be careful," she warned. "If anything happens, tell me. Or a teacher."

  "Got it. I appreciate it, Shiori."

  She stood, finished her coffee, and walked out with a half-smile. "Let's hope tomorrow's just acting. No drama."

  "Yeah, let's hope," I replied with a smile. But let's be honest… Something was bound to happen.

  *

  Meanwhile…

  Back in the girls' room.

  It was chaos.

  Absolute girl-grade chaos.

  Reina, Arisa, and Nao were spinning in circles like they were in a mid-summoning ritual, half-dressed, still in their underwear, pacing and panicking.

  "THERE'S NO WAY HE KISSED HER!" Arisa shouted as she circled around the room, scuffing up her hair.

  "They… Must've rehearsed it," Reina said, hand on her chin like a detective solving a murder. The girls nodded at each other in agreement before Nao clapped her hands together, eyes wide. "Wait, wait! I saw her whisper something to him before it happened. What if… Yuki?made him do it?!"

  All three paused.

  They stared at each other, minds connecting, brain cells merging.

  Then in unison:

  "Yuki… Likes… SOUTA?!"

  But as fast as the idea came, it vanished.

  "No way. If Yuki's playing hard to get, then she's playing on nightmare mode," Arisa muttered, throwing on a shirt.

  Reina hummed. "Maybe she just didn't trust us to win against Shiori."

  "Still…" Nao added. "She didn't scold him. Or elbow him in the ribs. She just left."

  The three of them went silent.

  "You're right-" Arisa started, but then stopped, and the reason for that was simple.

  "Is that Yuki there?" Nao whispering. The girls fell silent as the sound of footsteps echoed throughout the corridor until it stopped right outside their door. Arisa's eyes darted to both Nao and Reina, each of them nodding at the other. "Yuki?" Arisa called out, a bit of worry leaking out of her voice, after all, they left the door unlocked just in case Yuki came back, but they had forgotten to take into account that anyone could just up and walk in.

  There was a brief silence; the person on the other side of the door didn't reply.

  And then.

  CREEAAAK.

  The door opened.