"Next, please enjoy the song The Only One, performed by first-year Trainer majors Stuart and Julia."
As the host's voice faded, Julia stepped out from backstage, dressed in a sleek black gown. At the same moment, Stuart walked on from the other side, wearing a neat suit. The two of them stood at the center of the stage, microphones in hand, as the spotlight swept over them. The pale light caught Julia's golden short hair and made her fair skin seem to glow softly.
Stuart's gaze followed Julia closely, his expression open and unguarded — the kind of look that made no effort to hide what he felt.
There was no question about it. Julia looked stunning tonight. She was usually sweet and approachable in the way she carried herself, but tonight, dressed in black, there was a different quality to her. A cool, quiet elegance that was hard to look away from. It suited her in a way that made the whole auditorium still.
The prelude began — soft, melodious, like the distant cry of a Swablu drifting through open sky.
Julia looked out at the crowd with steady, deep eyes. In the sea of faces filling the auditorium, she found Jacob almost immediately.
Their eyes met.
Julia drew a slow breath. Her eyes flickered. Her lips parted, and her clear, gentle voice began to rise with the music.
"Do you truly understand the definition of 'the only one'? It's not as simple as breathing."
"You truly wish you could clarify — how can you explain without a heart-to-heart?"
"I truly love you."
"Every word is not taken lightly."
"Drifting in her eyes…"
The song moved through the auditorium like a wave. Julia's voice was melancholic and rich — part confession, part farewell, part reunion all at once. A quiet ache settled over the crowd. No one spoke. No one shifted in their seat. The sadness in her voice was plain and real.
She held the microphone with both hands, her gaze fixed in Jacob's direction without wavering.
"I truly love you."
"No one can compare."
"No affirmation in her eyes…"
There is something about a person singing from a place of honest feeling that draws every eye in the room. Julia's voice had grown a little hoarse, touched with the kind of rawness that comes only when someone is truly, deeply moved. It carried a maturity that didn't quite match her age — as if all the things she had kept inside for a long time were finally being let out through the music.
Her black skirt swayed gently under the spotlight. She looked alone up there, and somehow beautiful because of it.
Finishing a song was supposed to make a person feel lighter. Julia had heard that said before. Now she knew it wasn't true — or at least, it wasn't true for her. With every word she sang, the feeling in her chest only seemed to grow heavier. By the end of the verse, her eyes were glistening, and she made no effort to hide it.
In the audience, Nina sat quietly, watching Julia on stage. A heaviness had crept into her chest without her quite noticing it. She lowered her head and said nothing.
Quietly, she thought — Julia was a little pitiful, wasn't she.
"Your wavering."
"Matches my wandering."
"Awakening from death."
"Understanding your cleverness behind my back."
"Love is essentially no different — it's because there are too many people crowded."
"You don't want to prove, prove that I am your only one."
"Prove that I am your only one."
When the last note faded, thunderous applause rose from the audience. Julia lowered the microphone slowly and pressed the back of her hand to her cheek, quietly wiping away the tears that had slipped down.
Not far away, Kyle let out another long sigh.
"Alas," he murmured, shaking his head slowly. Then again: "Alas." And again: "Alas."
Jacob, who had been listening in silence, finally turned to look at him. Between the weight of Julia's song still sitting in his chest and Kyle's drawn-out sighing, his patience had run thin.
"Kyle," he said, his voice edged with mild irritation, "if you have something to say, just say it. Why do you keep sighing like that? Stop being so pointed about it."
Kyle, who had apparently picked up some internet slang from somewhere, turned to him with a look that made Jacob want to flick him on the forehead.
"He's getting anxious, he's getting anxious — someone's getting anxious." Kyle shook his head with theatrical pity. "Some people miss out on a girl like Julia and spend the rest of their lives regretting it. One day they'll be sitting in a wheelchair, staring out a window, thinking back on tonight, and quietly wiping away tears."
Despite himself, Jacob let out a short laugh. "Who are you even talking about? All that roundabout hinting." He gave Kyle a look. "I'll tell you what, Comrade Kyle — what did Amira promise you? When did you switch sides on me?"
"Switch sides?" Kyle pressed a hand to his chest with great dignity. "I represent fairness and justice. I always stand on the side of what's right. Evil trainers like you deserve to be called out." Then his tone shifted, becoming almost sincere. "Jacob, I'm only saying this because you're my best friend. Honestly — I have no idea what goes through your head sometimes. Research genius or not, you're something else. You could have had a girl like Julia."
Jacob waved him off. "Alright, enough. I have my reasons." He paused, then let out a quiet sigh. "I already have a girlfriend."
If he didn't — if things were different — who in their right mind would pass up someone like Julia?
"Sure, I know that," Kyle said, leaning in. "Keep going."
"And there are two."
Kyle blinked. He tilted his head slowly. His mouth opened. He stared at Jacob for a long moment as if the words had short-circuited something in his brain.
"Wait," he said. "Say that again."
"I have two girlfriends."
Kyle leaned back in his chair. He took a slow, deliberate breath. His face settled into an expression of great seriousness. He looked at Jacob the way a veteran Trainer might look at a wild Pokémon they had never seen before — with equal parts disbelief and reluctant admiration.
"Jacob," he said finally, "you are genuinely full of surprises. Go on."
"You know both of them," Jacob said. "One is Nina." He hesitated. "The other one — I'd rather not say for now."
Kyle's eyes immediately slid toward the teachers' seating area.
"When you say Nina… you don't mean—"
"Yeah," Jacob said.
Kyle was quiet for a moment. Then: "Alright. Jacob, your situation is… complicated. Let this strategist think carefully about how to approach this." He folded his hands. "But first — tell me about the other one."
"Her situation is a little unusual," Jacob said carefully. "As for the details, just… don't worry about that part for now. The thing is, we—"