Time slipped away like sand through Kaede's fingers. Days turned to weeks, and weeks to months, moving to the rhythm of Kaede and Mirei's drifting connection. At first, they managed to meet every week, finding small pockets of time to escape into each other's world, to hold on to what felt real. But soon, those weekly meetings became fortnightly, then monthly. Mirei's texts, once rapid replies filled with warmth and little jokes, grew sparse, stretching from minutes to hours, then hours to days.
Kaede felt the space growing between them, like a shadow stretching longer and darker as the sun set. She knew Mirei was busy. She tried her best to understand, telling herself it was only natural for an idol's life to pull them away. Mirei still made time when she could, sending glimpses of her day—an outfit sneak peek, a silly selfie, a late-night "I miss you" when exhaustion allowed her a moment's rest. Kaede clung to these fleeting moments, feeling both grateful and left behind, watching Mirei's world expand in a direction that took her further and further away.
Despite everything, Kaede prayed that Mirei was happy. She hoped, with all her heart, that good people surrounded Mirei, that her smile would be safe and her path free from harm. She loved Mirei too much to wish otherwise.
And yet, with each passing month, Kaede couldn't ignore the hollow ache in her chest. Three months had passed since New Year, and it had been two month since she'd last seen Mirei's face, heard her laugh in person. She tried to push away the sadness, but it seeped into her like a chill on a winter night.
She sighed, slumping on the practice room floor, stretching her aching ankle. Her ankle had been slow to heal, still flaring with pain when she pushed too hard, as if mocking her dreams. And it wasn't just her injury. Her career felt as frozen as her heart. Starlight Entertainment hadn't mentioned any new projects, leaving her in limbo. Days slipped by with no updates, no hints of progress, and she wondered, in darker moments, if this was all there was. Her thoughts wandered to Rena, a fellow trainee who'd once been by her side, who had given up and left the agency to start fresh elsewhere. Was it time for Kaede to do the same?
She pushed the thought aside, shaking her head. She couldn't give up. Not yet. But she felt lost, as if the ground beneath her was slipping away.
One afternoon, Yukina—a fellow trainee and one of the last few who hadn't given up—came to Kaede with a mischievous grin. "Hey, I'm bored. Let's do something fun. You play guitar, right?"
Kaede blinked, taken off guard. She hadn't touched her guitar in weeks, her fingers aching for something familiar. Yukina grinned wider. "I can play the drums. Let's jam for a bit."
At first, Kaede wasn't particularly interested. The thought of forming a band was a distant, almost childish dream in comparison to the polished idol career she'd envisioned for herself. But she found herself agreeing, if only to kill the hours that felt so empty lately. Playing guitar again felt like coming home, her fingers finding notes and rhythms with a familiarity that brought comfort.
Before long, Risa, another trainee, found out about their little sessions and surprised them both by picking up a bass and joining in. Together, they found a rhythm, filling the empty practice room with music that felt raw and alive, a sound born from shared dreams and frustrations. Later they decided to name their band 'Chasing Stardust'.
Two months passed, and the band, though only a hobby, had become a place of solace for Kaede. She felt herself coming alive again when she wrote lyrics, weaving her feelings into words, her guitar adding melody to the fragments of her heart. It was a freedom she hadn't felt in ages, like she'd peeled away the layers of expectation and found her love for music again.
One day, Yukina suggested with a grin, "Why don't we make a social media page and channel? Just for fun. Who knows? Maybe one day we'll go viral or something."
Kaede laughed, but after a moment, they all agreed. They created an account, posting clips from their practices, little pieces of themselves for anyone who cared to watch. It felt silly, almost, but it also felt right—like they were leaving a mark, however small.
But life has a way of changing in an instant.
The breaking news arrived like a punch to the gut. The agency's official statement, Starlight Entertainment's decision, left them all in shock. There would be no other idol project, no new trainee promotions. All resources and focus would go to the debut of their most promising group: Celestial. The trainees who hadn't been selected were now effectively cut from the agency, their dreams erased without ceremony.
Kaede sat in stunned silence as she read the announcement. The words swam before her eyes, but their meaning settled heavily in her chest. The dreams she'd held close for so long now lay in pieces, like fragments of glass cutting into her heart. She had worked for this, given everything she had, sacrificed so much—only to be discarded. She was no closer to her dream than when she'd first started.
And in this painful moment, Mirei wasn't there. She wasn't there to hold her hand, to tell her it would be okay, to share in the sadness and lift her up. Mirei's silence echoed louder than words. In the distance, she was moving up, rising with Celestial, her world filled with lights and music. Kaede was left behind, alone with the realization that she had failed.
Unable to stay in the empty practice room, she wandered the city streets, her feet moving without purpose. Her thoughts swirled in a mix of heartbreak and confusion, dragging her down. She stopped, catching sight of a billboard in the distance, the neon lights painting her world in bright, unfeeling colors. It was a teaser for Celestial's debut. She looked up, and there she was—Mirei, so beautiful and radiant, captured in a single perfect frame, as if she were made of light.
Seeing Mirei like this brought back a rush of memories. She remembered the first time she'd seen Mirei on a screen, the awe and wonder she'd felt, that instant connection that had transformed into love. She had once dreamed of sharing a stage with Mirei, of standing beside her as equals. But now, looking at Mirei's face beaming down at her from a world that felt infinitely far away, she couldn't ignore the painful truth that tore at her heart.
Maybe…maybe this was their destiny. Maybe she was never meant to stand beside Mirei. Maybe she was only meant to be a fan, gazing up at her from the crowd, admiring her beauty from afar.
A cold wind blew, stinging her eyes, but she didn't look away. She let herself fall into the sadness, the weight of everything pressing down on her. She had given everything, but it hadn't been enough. And now, Mirei was moving forward into a world Kaede could no longer reach.
With a heavy heart, she whispered to herself, "Maybe that's all I was ever meant to be… just one of the millions admiring her from afar."
And as the lights of the city twinkled around her, Kaede stood alone, holding onto a love that felt as distant as the stars, her dreams scattered like petals on the wind.