{Ai's POV}
The day had gone as expected. Meetings, smiles, the usual routine—playing the role she knew so well. But as Ai walked into her room and closed the door behind her, she couldn't shake the faint irritation that lingered from earlier.
She dropped her bag on the chair and stood for a moment, staring at the empty space. It felt quieter than usual tonight. Maybe because of him—the new guy. His eyes had been different from the others. Not full of the usual admiration, but something else. Something that made her uncomfortable.
Ai caught her reflection in the window, pausing as her own eyes met hers. It was the same image she'd seen countless times. The idol. The perfect version of herself, crafted carefully over the years. The smile, the gestures, even the way she tilted her head—all of it was rehearsed, perfected.
But why did it feel off today?
She sighed and moved toward the bed, sitting down slowly. She didn't like how he looked at her. Not because he wasn't impressed, but because it felt like he was searching for something more. Something she wasn't sure she could show, even if she wanted to.
What did he see? she wondered. And more disturbingly, what did he expect to find?
The thought gnawed at her. She had spent so long becoming this—this perfect version of herself—that it was hard to tell where the performance ended and the real her began. If there was a real her left at all.
It irritated her. She was used to recognition, to people seeing her exactly the way she wanted them to. But today had been different. That strange sense of not being enough—of being seen and understood, but left wanting—left her unsettled.
With a quiet sigh, Ai lay down and pulled the blanket over herself, her mind still buzzing. She tried to push the thoughts away, telling herself it didn't matter. Tomorrow, she'd be perfect again. She always was.
But as her eyes closed, one thought lingered in the quiet of her room: Who am I when the cameras stop?
A few hours later
Ai stirred from her nap at the sound of heavy and light thuds.
Curious, she stepped out of her room to check what was happening.
As she entered the hallway, voices echoed around her, accompanied by the rhythmic thud of boxes being unloaded. It was a familiar dance, yet today, she felt a twinge of annoyance mixed with intrigue.
Turning the corner, she spotted a group of unloaders bustling about. Her eyes were immediately drawn to one figure among them.
He was tall and lean, with a chiseled face that caught the light just right. Long black hair cascaded past his shoulders, framing his sharp features, while the golden-red hue of his eyes stood out even in the dim lighting of the lobby. There was an effortless confidence in the way he moved, a calm measured gait, rhythmic breaths.
Is he a musician? Ai thought, looking at all the instruments being unloaded, watching him interact with the crew. Or maybe a model or actor? The idea felt fitting. He had an aura about him, something magnetic that drew her attention.
But there was something more that unsettled her. When he looked at her, she sensed a searching, almost longing gaze—a flicker of something he was desperately trying to grasp but failing to find. The minor disappointment that flitted across his features didn't escape her notice, and it stirred an inexplicable frustration within her.
Why was he looking for something in me? she mused, irritation mingling with curiosity. What did he expect to discover?
The nagging thought of being compared to someone else hung in the air. She felt a twinge of annoyance at the idea, even though she had no reason to feel threatened. It shouldn't matter to me. Who even cares about his opinion?
She quickly masked her thoughts and started speaking once she saw his attention on her.
"Studio equipment?" she asked curiously.
"Yeah, among other things," he answered calmly, with no visible change in his expression.
"Are you a musician?" She was once again curious about her new neighbor. If he was in the entertainment world, she should have at least heard of him. Yet, she couldn't remember anyone like him, even though she was bad with names.
"No, not by profession at least. It's just a hobby," he said, looking away from her.
"A hobby?" she repeated, stunned at the excuse he came up with while looking at all the equipment. This is expensive stuff.
"You'd be surprised how far people can go for hobbies if they have the money and resources available for it," he chuckled mirthfully, then stopped abruptly as if remembering something. He shook his head and continued. "Anyway, what brings you here?"
Once again, Ai saw that look of longing and disappointment in his eyes. It came and went like a fleeting shadow, hidden behind his mask of indifference. It surely pricked her, but she couldn't help but wonder who he was looking at with that faraway gaze.
She once again affirmed her views on her new neighbor.
It seems I have an interesting new neighbor~♥