9:00 PM. In the living room of BABYQUEEN dormitory, the soft yellow light was shining on the tea table. Layla stood up slightly, holding a small bag.
Layla: "I'm going to buy some personal items… if I come back late, everyone go to sleep first."
At that time, Sofia was not home. Jennifer, Lilia, Serena and Sara all looked up at the same time.
Serena (frowning): "It's this late? It's cold outside, be careful."
Sara: "Remember to come back early, don't catch a cold."
Lilia: "And… avoid dark places."
Layla smiled slightly, wrapping a brown woolen scarf around her neck. She wore a knee-length, light cream-colored coat with a hood at the back, a white woolen skirt underneath, and over-the-knee boots. Her long black hair was loose, a few strands falling in front of her face.
Layla (smiling slightly): "In this day and age… nothing bad can happen by accident."
The door closed.
In the living room, Jennifer rested her chin on her hand, looking out the door.
Jennifer: "I'm worried about her… Layla's mood hasn't been good these past few days."
Serena: "I noticed it too. Layla's smile… isn't as carefree as when she first debuted."
Lilia (sighing): "She's trying to act okay, but she's clearly not okay."
Sara: "And… have you noticed Sofia? It feels like… she doesn't fit in with the group, especially with Layla."
---
The atmosphere fell silent, only the ticking of the clock remained.
Outside, snow was falling heavily, covering the sidewalk. Layla put her hands in her pockets, walking silently through the empty streets. The yellow street lights cast a shadow, the snow glittering like slowly falling crystals.
She walked towards the lake behind the company building, where Damien had first taken her. It was so quiet that you could hear the snow hitting the ground, there was no one, just the calm water and the wooden benches by the lake.
Layla sat down, choosing the exact chair she had sat on with Damien. Next to her, the empty seat was still waiting for someone to return. The light from the electric pole next to her shone down, reflecting her long black hair that was shiny under the snow.
"What should I do… to be happy again? To regain the innocent smile like when I was a trainee?"
"What should I do to keep the fans? How hard have I tried?"
"I started this path because I wanted to fulfill my dream... to earn a lot of money to pay off my debt, to give my parents a better life, to let them travel around the world... And I did it. Even though I was criticized by public opinion, had to run my schedule until I was exhausted... but if in return my family was happy, I still found it worth it... very worth it."
"But... when I achieved it, I craved something else: the freedom to laugh, the freedom to live as myself. Not the Layla of the stage, not the Layla of the media, but the normal Layla, who likes to sit in the snow, likes to watch the lake, likes to sing a song without anyone judging..."
Layla pulled up her brown scarf, covering her cold face, her eyes filled with sadness as she looked at the lake.
Layla (whispering, voice trembling slightly):
"If I have to give up everything... to keep my family happy... I will still do it. But... will I still have enough strength to give up forever?"
She looked up at the sky, snowflakes falling on her eyelids, melting into cold drops of water. The whole space seemed to have only the sound of her heartbeat, blending with her fragile breath in the cold.
The snow fell thicker, the pure white flakes silently landing on Layla's shiny black hair. She sat huddled on a stone bench by the lake, a brown scarf hugging her neck tightly, her hands clenched in the pockets of her knee-length coat.
Next to her, was still the familiar empty spot. The place where someone used to sit, the person who had silently stayed by her side during the days when she felt the world was too heavy.
Layla turned her head slightly, her sparkling eyes seemed to contain the yellow light shining down from the nearby lamppost. She bit her lip, then smiled sadly:
---
10:30 p.m. The space was immersed in the cold blue light of dozens of screens suspended in mid-air. In the center of the room, a giant 3D hologram was rotating slowly, showing every detail clearly: Layla sat on one side of the sofa, her hair slightly loose, her lips moving slightly as if she was talking to someone she couldn't see.
Layla (in the hologram):
"Today... you didn't come..."
"Damien, do you want me to wait until I'm sick?"
"You said you liked me, and yet..."
The voice was transmitted through the system, slightly loud and mixed with a bit of interference, making it seem like it was whispering into everyone's ears.
Vex rested his chin on his hand, his eyes fixed on that image, the corners of his lips curled up.
Beside him, the AI assistant stood with his hands folded behind his back, looking at the screen with a look of both curiosity and disdain.
Vex (smiling softly):
"Before, I thought this girl was emotionless… never moved by anyone. Who would have thought…"
Assistant (smiling):
"Just one look, and… Damien."
Vex:
"Yeah. From the first moment I met him… she was moved. Isn't that interesting?"
Assistant (mockingly):
"A weak girl, a stubborn guy. What are you going to turn this story into?"
Vex (squinting his eyes):
"A play… that I'm the director. And this… is just the beginning."
At the back of the room, ASTRIX sat on the benches.
Rayden whistled softly, glancing at Damien:
Rayden:
"Oh… she mentioned your name. How many times has it been?"
Lucas rested his chin on his hand, looking at the screen:
"Looking like that… she might sit out in the cold for hours. What if she gets sick?"
Julian laughed happily:
"If she gets sick, Damien will have a chance to heroically save the beauty."
Elio frowned slightly:
"No kidding. It's minus 5 degrees."
While the group was teasing and worrying, Damien remained still.
His eyes were locked on Layla on the hologram, every word she said seemed to echo straight into his chest. His heartbeat suddenly skipped a beat, a strange feeling that was both uncomfortable and… warm.
He chuckled, but he laughed to himself.
"So stupid… so cutely stupid."
A smirk flashed across his face, but then he stared at the screen as if he didn't want to miss any of her expressions.
Vex (turning his head to Damien, his voice even):
"You'll understand soon enough… this is just the beginning. The good show is long."
The ASTIRX team glanced at each other, not understanding what he meant. Only Damien… still couldn't take his eyes off Layla.