The show wrapped late into the night. As the crowd filtered out, Noa hovered near the set, stomach churning. Reno had disappeared after his outburst, and she hadn't seen him since.
Ren, meanwhile, was all smiles, chatting with the host and taking selfies with the crew. Every time he looked at Noa, her chest fluttered—but her mind kept drifting back to Reno's devastated face in the wings.
*Why do I care so much?* she thought. *He's not real. He's just… a stupid sketch come to life.*
---
After the clean-up, Ren found her in the hallway. He rubbed the back of his neck, looking adorably shy.
"Hey… sorry about the chaos earlier," he said. "Your… um… friend kinda threw me off."
Noa forced a smile. "Yeah… he does that."
Ren glanced around, lowering his voice. "So… about that coffee? Tomorrow night? Just you and me."
Noa opened her mouth—then froze. Her mind flashed with Reno, hurt and angry, disappearing into the dark.
Ren waited, hopeful.
"I… I don't know," Noa whispered.
Ren blinked. "Oh. Did I… read this wrong?"
"No, it's not you, it's just…" She clutched the sketchbook to her chest. "It's complicated."
Ren gave her a soft smile. "Hey… take your time. I'll be around."
Then he squeezed her shoulder gently and walked away, whistling softly.
---
Noa stood there, feeling like the biggest idiot in the universe. She wanted to scream, cry, throw the sketchbook across the hall—*anything* to get the confusion out of her chest.
"Ugh… what is wrong with me?" she muttered.
---
She found Reno in the editing room, sprawled in her chair with his feet on the desk, staring blankly at the ceiling. He didn't even look up when she entered.
"Hey," Noa said softly.
No answer.
She moved closer. "Look… about what happened…"
Reno snorted. "Whatever. Go say yes to Mr. Perfect. I'm just the screw-up, right?"
"That's not true," Noa snapped. "You're… you're annoying. And loud. And you almost got me fired. But…" She swallowed. "You're also… kind. And… real. And I don't know what to do without you yelling in my ear every five seconds."
Reno glanced at her, eyes suspiciously bright. "Don't get soft on me now, babe."
Noa set the sketchbook on the desk, staring at him. "I don't want you to disappear."
Reno shrugged, trying to look casual. "Yeah, well… maybe you don't get to pick. Maybe that's just how this story goes."
---
Suddenly, the sketchbook trembled on the desk. The pages fluttered wildly, glowing faintly in the dim room. Noa grabbed it, terrified.
"Reno… what's happening?!"
He jumped up, eyes wide. "I… I don't know. This never happened before—"
A bright light shot out of the sketchbook, washing over Reno. He staggered back, clutching his chest.
"Noa—" he gasped. "It hurts—"
Noa lunged for him, grabbing his arm. "Hold on—I'll figure this out—"
But the light pulsed again, stronger this time. Reno cried out, face twisted in pain.
"Noa… listen… the book… it's finishing the story… you have to… choose—"
The light flared so bright it blinded her. She screamed, clutching him desperately—
And then everything went white.
---
When Noa blinked, the room was empty. Reno was gone.
The sketchbook lay open on the desk, the pages completely blank—every trace of her old drawings gone.
Noa collapsed into the chair, shaking. "No… no, no, no…"
Tears spilled down her cheeks as she whispered into the empty room.
"Reno… come back… please…"
But there was only silence.
---
*To be continued…*