"I already told you I'm going to school today!"
My voice rose, sharp and impatient, trying to cut through the suffocating tension in the room.
Liom—my manager, though he was the same age as me—leaned against the door, his arms folded as if he were lecturing a troublesome younger sibling.
"You have a performance today…"
He said quietly, as though everything had already been decided without me.
I refused to give in.
"I said no, and I mean it. Move it to Ramis instead!"
He groaned under his breath, shaking his head in frustration. The fluorescent lights above made his expression look even harsher, a shadow cutting sharp lines across his face.
"Promise me you'll perform, Nako… or should I call Jia and tell her everything!?"
I froze for a split second, my blood boiling at the sound of that name. My name was already heavy enough, and now he dared to mix it with another identity I was forced to keep hidden.
"Liom! Don't you dare—or I'll quit!"
My voice cracked, caught between fury and fear.
He only smirked, that smug grin I hated most, and spoke as if my entire life were nothing but a game in his hands.
"Go ahead, be a nobody. But if you quit, Miko won't want you anymore. Word is… he's actually your fan. You can't just walk away now."
That name—Miko—echoed in my chest like a strike of thunder. For a moment, I lost my breath, unable to accept or deny it. Liom always knew exactly which button to press to make me surrender.
I hissed, clenching my jaw tight as anger burned through me.
"Geez… fine, Fine!"
Without waiting for his response, I spun on my heel and stormed out. The studio air, thick with perfume and the smell of paper contracts, pressed down on me like a cage. My steps were heavy, dragged by the bitter weight of defeat.
I retreated to my own room—it was still early morning, and soon I would have to leave for school.
School—the only place where I could pretend to be just another girl. The same place where he studied.
The only reason I kept going, even as Father and "The Mother" pulled the strings of my life from behind the curtain.
…
I left for school alone that morning, nearly late again.
The distance between the studio and the campus wasn't far—it never was—but I had still let myself drift in laziness, dragging my feet until time almost slipped away from me.
I had already anticipated everything: my appearance altered, the antlers and deer's tail erased by the chip inside my head, the one designed by him—the one I liked. With that, I could blend in, I could pass for ordinary. Or at least try.
But luck wasn't with me. A message blinked on my device, and with it the truth: I wasn't in the same class as him.
Instead, another name appeared on the list.
My twin, Gia Katiana.
A bitter thought crossed my mind.
"She's in his class. She'll definitely tease the boy I crush for a long time."
The idea itself was enough to make me scowl, muttering under my breath as I stood in line during the school tour. My irritation simmered quietly, unseen by those around me.
No one in my class felt familiar. I didn't bother with greetings. This was only a formality anyway. A certificate would be waiting for me at the end no matter what—idol homeschooling made sure of that.
Still, the hallways felt endless, polished floors glinting with morning light. Then, in the distance, another line of students appeared from a different class.
And there he was.
My breath faltered. For a moment, I stopped walking, staring at him as if the whole corridor had vanished around us. Only then did panic strike me. I had disguised myself to look like Gia.
My chest tightened. I wanted to slip out of line, but the teacher's sharp voice cut me down, forcing me back into place. Step after step carried us closer until it was impossible to pretend otherwise.
Our eyes met.
I froze. My body moved forward, but my heart was left behind, caught in the weight of his gaze. It lasted too long—far too long—until heat flushed through me.
"Oh no… our eyes met. How embarrassing."
Yet I couldn't look away. To turn aside now would only betray me, would expose what I felt. That I liked him.
Susu. Or rather—Miko, under the identity he carried now.
Our lines crossed, passing each other in the narrow corridor.
For a fleeting moment, it was as if the world had slowed. His eyes followed mine, and mine clung helplessly to his, until the distance between us grew wider, and our groups were pulled apart in opposite directions.
Even after he was gone, the image of him lingered like an aftertaste.
In class, I found myself staring off into space, the lessons dissolving into a blur of voices and chalk dust. At times, a smile tugged at my lips without warning, drawing the sharp attention of the teacher or the guide who scolded me for not paying attention.
I barely listened.
Even the classmate seated beside me became a stranger, someone I ignored while she turned instead to chat with others. The world around me felt distant, muted, while my thoughts circled only around that single moment in the hallway.
That look. Those eyes. The way it made my chest tighten as if I'd been found out.
…
When classes ended at midday, I didn't waste a second.
The moment my seatmate packed up and left, I slipped out as well, my steps light but restless. My destination was already decided—Susu's classroom.
From the narrow frame of the window, I peeked inside.
And just as I feared, there she was. My twin. Sitting close, leaning in, her words dripping with that teasing tone only she could pull off. She was using my mannerisms, my little quirks, as if they were hers to borrow. The very pieces of me the doctors once claimed ran deeper in Miko's memory than hers.
Of course, she had found out about that. And it had made her jealous. Bitter.
But right now, it was me who burned. My stomach knotted, my chest tightening as I watched her mimic me, stealing what was mine. Then her eyes flicked up, catching me at the window. She smirked knowingly—mocking me—while Susu remained oblivious, facing the other way.
I bit my lip, heat rushing to my face.
And then, something unexpected happened. Susu stood. With a polite nod, he left her behind.
My pulse skipped.
"This is my chance!"
The thought rang loud in my head, drowning everything else.
I followed him, quietly at first, like a shadow trailing the sunlight. From the classroom hall, down the steps, past the school gates—until his path led toward the station.
Of course, I had already prepared for this day. Father and Liom had arranged an apartment for me in the very same complex where Susu lived. It wasn't a coincidence—it was a design by them. That's why following him now felt almost natural, as if fate had aligned us.
When he boarded the train, I didn't dare step into the same car. Instead, I slipped into the next one, peering discreetly through the narrow windows between compartments.
There he was, framed by the glass, sitting alone.
And there I was, watching from afar—close enough to see him, but too far to be seen.