The auditorium lights were dim, casting long, quiet shadows across the velvet-covered seats. The tech crew had finally packed up, and most of the cast had returned to their dorms to rest. Only a few lingered.
Leo sat alone in the center of the stage.
The stage floor was cool against his hands as he leaned back, gazing up at the rafters, the intricate network of lights and wires overhead like a city suspended in air. The room smelled like dust, faint glue, and a trace of stage makeup. It smelled like memory.
He wasn't rehearsing. He wasn't thinking about blocking. He was just... sitting.
Waiting.
He heard footsteps. Not heavy. Not hesitant. Balanced.
Rin.
She stood by the side curtain, arms folded, watching him for a long moment before walking forward.
"You're not supposed to be here alone," she said.
Leo didn't look at her. "Neither are you."
"Touché."
She sat beside him. Not too close. Just enough.
"I remember watching this play when I was in first year," she said. "They butchered it. Flat delivery, missed cues, lighting was a disaster. But the story still moved me."
Leo glanced at her. "That's why you chose this one?"
She nodded. "Because it deserved better."
They sat in silence again.
Then, softly:
"You've changed the story."
"I'm sorry," Leo said quickly. "I know it was your vision, and—"
"No." Rin cut him off. "You changed it... and made it better."
Leo blinked.
Rin continued. "You brought it to life. Not just with edits or scenes. With the way you act. The way you listen to everyone. You made people care again."
He looked away.
"I wasn't trying to be a lead. I just didn't want it to fall apart."
Rin smiled faintly. "And yet you became the center without realizing it."
---
Dorm lights were out.
Yuki curled up under her blanket, phone in hand, thumbs hovering above the screen.
She had typed: Want to meet?
Then deleted it.
Then typed again: Tomorrow, after the show… can we talk?
Deleted that too.
Finally, she settled for: Don't forget to drink water and sleep early, idiot.
She hit send.
Seconds later, Leo replied: You too. Thanks for the soda.
Yuki stared at the screen and whispered into the darkness, "I'm scared to tell you everything."
Outside, the wind rustled through the leaves. Another night slipping into memory.
---
Ami sat at the piano in the music room. It wasn't even technically open, but the door had been unlocked.
Her fingers drifted across the keys, slow and uncertain.
She wasn't playing any song in particular. Just… letting her hands speak.
In the dim reflection of the piano's lacquered surface, she saw herself—tired, but lighter. Like she'd said what needed to be said and survived it.
She played a soft melody.
One she remembered Leo humming, months ago, during his first week at school.
She smiled.
"I'll be okay," she whispered.
---
Kai was nowhere to be found, but if he had been around, he probably would've said something like:
> "The night before a play is like the moment before a kiss—you're not sure if it's magic or madness."
And Leo would've snorted.
But tonight, the silence carried its own weight.
---
The school clock chimed midnight.
Leo finally stood and walked out into the night.
The sky above was painted in stars.
Somewhere, just beyond the horizon, the next day waited.
Waiting to be lived.
Waiting to begin.