Kaizer's POV
The noise outside the dressing room rose and fell like distant waves, muffled behind the closed door of the auditorium. Announcements echoed faintly through the speakers every few minutes, followed by applause for performances that neither Lux nor I were paying attention to anymore.
Lux sat beside me scrolling through his phone, though from the way his screen hadn't moved for the last five minutes, I knew he wasn't actually reading anything.
Or maybe he was just nervous for us.
I leaned back against the chair, fingers resting lightly against my hand as my gaze drifted toward the guitar case lying beside me.
My thoughts were louder than usual today.
Too loud.
The auditorium was packed.
Students.
Teachers.
Parents.
Hundreds of thoughts waiting outside.
And in the middle of all that..
I had willingly agreed to stand on a stage.
I still didn't understand how that happened.
Just then the dressing room door opened, and for a moment, every thought in my head paused.
Iris walked in quietly beside Anya, adjusting the sleeve of her dress slightly as she stepped inside.
White.
A long flowing white dress that moved softly around her with every step she took.
Not flashy.
Not overly decorated.
Just simple.
And somehow,
that made it impossible to look away.
She noticed me staring for a second and gave an awkward little smile before walking closer.
"Hello," she said softly.
It took me a moment longer than it should have to respond.
"…Hello."
Behind her, Anya immediately looked toward Lux and crossed her arms.
"You're still alive, soap brand?"
Lux rolled his eyes dramatically.
"Unfortunately for you, yes."
"You should feel grateful."
"You should feel quiet."
Iris lowered her head slightly, clearly hiding a smile as she sat down beside me.
The atmosphere slowly settled again after that.
Outside, another round of applause echoed through the auditorium.
Our turn was getting closer.
Very close.
Anya and Lux eventually stepped outside the dressing room after some argument about snacks and stage lighting, leaving only the two of us inside.
And suddenly,
the room felt quieter than before.
Iris adjusted the edge of her sleeve absentmindedly before speaking.
"They're still not talking properly."
I glanced toward the door.
"Lux brought chocolates to apologize."
She blinked.
"Really?"
"He's just too embarrassed to give them."
That made her laugh softly.
A small laugh.
But enough to ease something inside the room.
Then suddenly her expression changed.
She opened her pouch quickly and looked inside before glancing at her wrist.
A black rubber band rested there.
Without saying anything, she removed it and turned toward me.
"Your hand."
I looked at her for a second in confusion.
"…What?"
"Give me your hand."
I quietly extended it anyway.
Her fingers brushed against my skin as she slid the rubber band around my wrist carefully, and for some reason..
her hands felt colder than usual today.
"It keeps bad energy away," she explained softly.
I looked at the band once before raising my eyes toward her again.
"What about you then?"
A tiny smile appeared on her lips.
"I'm not less than black energy myself."
For the first time that evening,
I laughed.
Not loudly.
But genuinely.
And somehow, hearing her laugh quietly after that made the nervousness around my chest lessen just a little.
---
A few minutes later,
our names were called.
---
The lights of the auditorium felt brighter than they had during practice.
The moment we stepped onto the stage, the murmurs across the hall slowly faded into silence.
I adjusted the microphone stand slightly while Iris moved toward her position beneath the dim golden spotlight.
And for a second,
everything became still.
She looked toward me once.
A silent nod.
Ready.
I took a slow breath.
Then my fingers touched the guitar strings.
The first chord echoed softly through the auditorium.
Gentle.
Melancholic.
Like an old memory slowly returning.
And then,
I started singing.
---
"Hold my finger once again,
teach me how to walk again, mother…"
---
Iris moved slowly with the melody, her movements soft and weightless beneath the dim light.
Not dramatic.
Not showy.
Just emotional.
Like someone reliving memories instead of performing them.
---
"Lift me into your arms,
wipe my face with your veil
whenever the world feels stained and harsh…"
---
Her hands reached forward slightly at the lyrics, fingertips trembling almost invisibly before pulling back toward herself again.
The auditorium had become completely silent now.
No whispers.
No movement.
Only the sound of the guitar.
And my voice.
---
"A… Aa… Ee… Ee…"
---
The childish rhythm echoed softly through the speakers.
And something about hearing those sounds inside a crowded auditorium suddenly made the entire song feel unbearably personal.
Iris spun slowly beneath the spotlight, the white fabric around her moving like flowing memories.
---
"Whenever life stares back at me harshly,
I remember your anger…"
---
For a brief second,
I remembered my mother's voice.
Soft laughter.
Warm hands against my hair.
The memory hit so suddenly that my fingers nearly missed the chord.
---
"But even when you scolded me,
you did it as gently as flowers…"
---
Iris lowered herself slowly to her knees during the line, one hand placed over her heart as she looked upward beneath the lights.
And for the first time,
I noticed people in the audience wiping their eyes quietly.
---
"Why isn't the whole world like you, mother…"
---
My throat tightened slightly.
But I continued.
Because somehow,
the song didn't feel like a performance anymore.
It felt real.
Too real.
---
"My forehead has been burning since morning…
place your hand on it once, mother…"
---
Iris's movements slowed here.
Softer.
Almost fragile.
And then,
it happened.
A tiny flinch.
Barely visible.
But I noticed.
Her foot had stepped on something sharp near the edge of the stage.
A nail.
My grip around the guitar tightened immediately.
Her brows knitted for the briefest second.
But she continued dancing.
Like nothing happened.
---
"You came home late… have you eaten anything?
No one here even asks…"
---
Blood slowly stained the edge of her foot beneath the white fabric.
And suddenly,
I couldn't focus on the audience anymore.
Only her.
Only whether she was okay.
But Iris kept moving.
Kept dancing through the pain like she had already learned how to.
---
"Sometimes you called me a diamond,
sometimes a precious jewel…"
---
The spotlight softened around her again as she turned slowly with the music, and despite the pain visible in her movements now—
she still looked beautiful.
Not because of the dance.
But because of the emotion inside it.
---
"Why did you raise me with such love, mother…"
---
My voice lowered unconsciously during the next line.
Almost trembling.
---
"The world does not see me through your eyes…"
---
Iris stopped moving for a moment.
Completely still beneath the light.
And somehow,
that stillness hurt more than movement.
---
"And you cannot scold the world for that… can you, mother?"
---
By now, the auditorium was silent enough that even breathing felt loud.
No phones.
No whispers.
Nothing.
Only emotion hanging heavily in the air.
---
"The world will never look at me the way you do…
And you cannot keep fighting the world for me forever… can you, mother…"
---
The final chord faded slowly.
And for a moment,
nobody moved.
The silence that followed felt heavy.
Emotional.
As if the auditorium itself needed time to breathe again.
Then slowly,
someone clapped.
Another joined.
Then another.
And suddenly the entire auditorium erupted into applause.
But my eyes were already on Iris.
Because the moment the spotlight dimmed—
her balance faltered slightly.
Still,
she walked toward the microphone.
Trying not to limp.
Trying not to show pain.
Her fingers wrapped around the mic gently.
And with watery eyes,
she spoke softly.
"In the next life… I can be your mother and you can be my child, mamma…"
The auditorium fell silent again.
"This time… I will call you while you fly, mamma…"
A few people in the audience openly wiped tears after that.
Iris lowered the mic slowly.
Then bowed.
I bowed beside her.
And the applause became even louder.
The moment we stepped offstage, I immediately held her arm before she could lose balance completely.
Her eyebrows tightened in frustration.
"Who puts nails on a stage…" she muttered under her breath.
Before I could respond, Lux and Anya rushed toward us excitedly,
only to stop instantly after seeing the blood.
"What happened?!" Anya exclaimed.
Lux immediately crouched beside us.
"How did this happen?"
"She stepped on something sharp during the performance," I answered before Iris could dismiss it.
Anya looked horrified.
"And you still danced?!"
Iris looked away slightly.
"It was the middle of the performance…"
Lux quickly brought bandages while the teachers were informed about the nail.
And throughout all of it,
Iris kept insisting she was fine.
Even when she clearly wasn't.
Eventually Anya offered to take her home, but I spoke before she could.
"I'll drop her."
Iris looked toward me quietly.
Then nodded once.
As we headed out, I was not able to hold in as I looked at her limping.
"You should have worn the rubber band yourself." I finally said.
She chuckled a little listening to it.
"Do you actually think it was because of a bad energy."
I just nodded.
"Well then, I saved you. You should be happy. It's a blessing from a senior to junior." She said as she put her palm up as if giving me blessings.
A memory suddenly resurfaced, a small little girl's voice saying,
"Then it's a blessing from older one to younger one."
I just smiled looking at her. Maybe the bond changed but she didn't.
---
Lux's POV
Anya walked ahead of me after we left the auditorium, arms crossed tightly while the chocolate box remained awkwardly trapped in my hands.
I finally grabbed her wrist lightly before she could walk farther.
"Wait."
She turned around.
I exhaled.
"…Sorry."
Her expression softened slightly.
"For what?"
"For freaking out like the world was ending."
She stared at me for a second before laughing quietly.
"You were freaking out."
"Well excuse me for being concerned when you looked like you were dying."
"It was period pain, not death."
"That sounded equally dangerous."
She rolled her eyes.
Then finally,
I handed her the chocolates.
"I bought these to apologize."
She blinked.
"…You actually brought chocolates?"
"You think I'm heartless?"
"A little."
I gasped dramatically.
"Return them then."
She immediately stepped back holding the box protectively.
"No."
And before I could react, she turned and started walking away quickly.
Then suddenly,
she slipped slightly.
I caught her arm instinctively before she could fall.
For a second,
neither of us moved.
Then she slowly glanced down toward where I was still holding her hand.
I released it immediately.
"Sorry."
A smile appeared on her lips.
"At least this time I didn't fall because of you."
I crossed my arms proudly.
"Exactly. Character development."
She laughed softly before opening the chocolate box.
"We can share these."
I looked at her for a second.
Then nodded.
"…Okay."