Archive of Our Own

As Claudine had always done, when she got home, she went straight for the TV. No matter how tired she was after practice, no matter how much homework she had, no matter how much her parents teased her for doing this all the time, Claudine would, without fail, find herself here.

The biggest TV show of the year—no, it was going to be the biggest TV show for decades to pass! That was how all the adults described it. Well, maybe for the adults (nothing could be bigger than Mr. White, Claudine personally thought) but even Claudine could see the appeal of this.

Right now, the girl on the screen was practicing her dancing. Claudine followed along with her own routine even though she had already finished her practice. She liked to pretend that she was there too, practicing alongside the other girl. Even Claudine could tell that this girl was the same as her, the way she practiced so diligently even though unlike Claudine, she wasn't on any shows or movies.

No, that wasn't right—she was on one, she just didn't know it.

That's why she was different! This girl… she was different. Claudine wasn't sure how to describe it, but she wasn't like all the other child actors Claudine had met. Was this even called acting? Claudine's mind was still too young to be burdened with this question. But it was something different. Even Claudine knew that.

"Tendou Maya! It's time for your lessons!"

The girl on the screen looked up and nodded. The purple ribbon that tied back her hair bobbed with the movement. That was the popular hairstyle nowadays, but Claudine still liked keeping her hair back with her hairband instead. The girl on the screen gathered her hair and put it behind her before walking out of the room, not a strand out of place.

Claudine didn't know how long she watched the TV but she was there for hours, at least until her parents came home from work.

"Watching that show again?" her father would always say, bending down to ruffle her hair in that embarrassing way he always did. "I think you like watching her more than you do me!"

"I'm trying to learn how to be a better actor," she'd say, and her father would laugh again.

The days passed by this for Claudine. After school, after her own practice, when she had a break on her set, when she was bored, when it was raining outside and she couldn't play… the TV was on the same show, just like what all the other kids and adults were watching too.

The Pride of Tendou Maya.

This was routine, until one day—

Claudine read through the flyer again, carefully going over each word as if to make sure she didn't miss anything even though she had already committed everything to heart. Confirming the words for the umpteenth time, she nodded furiously as her eyes sparkled, staring hard at the TV.

In her excitement, her hands squeezed the flyer, and it was only the sound of the paper wrinkling that Claudine realized what she was doing. "O-oh!"

Carefully, she smoothed it back out and triple checked it to make sure it was all in one piece. Good, nothing was ripped. She continued pressing out the flyer, making sure she could read the large bolded words in the middle, printed over the dark silhouette of a giraffe.

Auditions start at the beginning of the month! Do you have what it takes to stand above the rest? Do you have the shine and radiance you believe you do? Come and participate in the hottest filming set of the century!

"Tendou Maya… you'll see me soon!"

All while The Pride of Tendou Maya continued to run on the TV.

Claudine's eyes snapped open the moment her alarm clock rang. Did she even sleep though? She wasn't sure; she'd been so excited that she barely even knew when she had fallen asleep.

But today was the day.

The bedroom she woke up in wasn't the same one she used for the last eight years. From now on, this would be her new room and new house for the years to come. The room was smaller than she was used to though, and it didn't have her posters with all the actors she thought were pretty.

This was only a taste though! When she became more famous and had more jobs, she'd have to do this more often! Houses all around the world while she went to go work on sets; that was the dream! Soon, the world would know her name as the top actor of all time!

"Claudine! It's almost time for school!"

The sound of her mother's voice made her whip her head toward the door. There would be more time for her aspirations later.

But right now, she had to get ready for her first day at her new school!

Before she left, her mother made sure everything was fitted perfectly on her: school uniform, school bag, her favorite black hairband, and the new earpiece she would be wearing from now on.

"Just in case you need help," her mother had told her when they explained what it was. "If you just don't know what to say, they'll tell you what to do next."

"Maman! You're so embarrassing. But I won't need something like that! I've already memorized everything in the script!" Claudine had huffed and puffed, her arms crossed as she stared at the thing in disdain. Still, they wouldn't let her on the set if she didn't wear it, so Claudine had no choice.

Well! It wasn't like she was going to need it anyway!

"Let me just check to make sure…" Her mother stepped back and gestured for Claudine to turn her head. "Looks good! Let's head off."

And just like that, Claudine was out the door, heading to her new school with her mother. It was very important that no one else could see she had this on her… even though everyone else had one.

Well, everyone else except one other…

Now, Claudine was sitting in her new classroom, trying hard not to fidget in her seat as she thought about her future. In particular, her new role for the next several years: Tendou Maya's best friend. Claudine would easily clinch this role.

When it was time for a break, Claudine beelined straight for Maya's desk… as did every other girl in the class.

"Ugh!" Being stuck on the side opposite of Tendou Maya's desk was showing its downside now. Claudine could only watch helplessly as the girls swarmed around her, so much that it seemed like she was hidden from view now.

Had none of these girls ever been in school before? Why did they all go straight to one girl?! They were being more than obvious!

"They're really pushing it, aren't they?" a new voice asked. Claudine turned her head to look at who had spoken, and was surprised to find that there was still one girl remaining in her seat instead of rushing like the other girls.

"You're not going over there?" Claudine asked, curious. She got the feeling that this girl didn't seem all that interested in Tendou Maya, instead focusing on the book in her hands. Claudine moved her head to see what she was reading.

Shakespeare? At their age?

"No, I'm only here for the acting lessons," the girl said, pushing up her thick glasses as she continued reading. "I don't want to be forced to be someone's friend anyway."

Forced? Was that what they were doing? Claudine had always seen it as following a script, albeit an improvised one. She wondered if all the other girls had been given the same instructions as she did… or if they were told the same thing she was.

"You're not going over there either…" the girl trailed off.

"Claudine."

"Junna."

Claudine smiled. She was here to be Tendou Maya's best friend, but it helped her feel better that she could make another friend at this new place too. At least Junna didn't seem interested in Tendou Maya, so that was one less competition! How lucky for her!

It took several more days before Claudine could finally get her chance to talk to Tendou Maya, and that was because they were paired together for dance practice.

For some reason, Claudine felt nervous. The assistants had repeatedly told her that she couldn't upstage Tendou Maya. It would look bad, and Tendou Maya would get sad, and the show wouldn't be the same, and it would all be Claudine's fault. It wasn't like Claudine wanted to fake being a bad actor, but for the sake of the show, she would do it.

"Saijou Claudine? Are you ready?" Tendou Maya asked. She was holding Claudine's hand, ready to go into the practice dance they were just taught.

That was kind of strange, being referred to with her full name, but Claudine brushed it aside. They had told her that Tendou Maya had been homeschooled until now so this was her first time being around girls her age. That would explain why she was awkward and didn't seem to talk much even though all the other girls kept trying to talk to her.

"I-I'm fine!" Claudine said, if a bit too loudly. It made her wince before she quickly smiled to hide her nerves. "Just a bit nervous."

"Nervous?" For some reason, Tendou Maya seemed surprised to hear that. She looked at Claudine but Claudine couldn't tell what she was thinking. After a while, Tendou Maya nodded. "I'm going to start soon, please keep up with me."

Claudine barely had half a second before Maya pulled her forward. She stumbled but quickly caught herself—oh, wait, she wanted to act like she wasn't sure what to do! That was easier said than done though. Her body was already going through the motions, following Maya's lead.

No! She had to stop! Tendou Maya was a prideful girl, the possibility of being shown up could hurt her! Claudine was here to be her friend! From what the adults had told her, they had said that someone who was good but not perfect would be a good fit for Tendou Maya. Well! Not that she wouldn't have minded showing Tendou Maya a thing or two about what real actors were like.

So Claudine let herself stumble a bit, pretend to mess up, forget some of her cues. Tendou Maya said nothing but waited patiently for Claudine every time, which surprised her. Maybe next time, Claudine could use this to her advantage.

What Claudine did learn though… was that Tendou Maya was talented. It was one thing to see her on TV, it was another to finally see and experience it up close. In comparison to Claudine, her movements weren't clumsy at all, and there was a grace to her that wasn't there with anyone else. And the way she was so focused, the look in her eyes so passionate that Claudine almost thought she was a completely different girl entirely.

When they finished, Tendou Maya wasn't even winded. She was frowning, staring at Claudine with… something that felt like disappointment. Maybe Claudine had messed up too much?

"Thanks for helping me out," Claudine said, offering her a meek smile. "I'll make sure to practice the dance for next time!"

"Next time…" Tendou Maya pushed her lips together. She was still looking at Claudine strangely, like she was trying to figure something out. The disappointment shone again before she slowly nodded. "I expected better from you, Saijou Claudine. Please do not hold me back."

Without another glance, Tendou Maya walked away. Claudine's eyes were wide, shocked.

The… the… arrogance! Who was Tendou Maya to say something like that to one of the best child actors ever?! Not that Tendou Maya knew—but still! Claudine clenched her fists, whipping her head to glare at Tendou Maya's back. How dare she?!

But Tendou Maya's skill was real, and Claudine knew how much Tendou Maya was practicing to make it better. Claudine couldn't fall behind!

On the other hand… her role on this set…

Claudine made a decision. Even though she was mad, she would go with how the adults wanted her to act. They were the ones who watched Tendou Maya the longest, and they were the one who also knew what the viewers wanted. They knew what was best for the show.

After all, this show was called The Pride of Tendou Maya, not The Pride of Saijou Claudine.

So Claudine sucked it up. Even if her own pride felt wounded at Tendou Maya being disappointed in her, Claudine would suck it up. It was for the sake of the show; she was here for Tendou Maya but she was also here to put on a show for the viewers. She hoped they were enjoying her performance so far.

Except whenever Claudine tried to push to be her partner for dance practice, Tendou Maya refused, or she had already paired off. Even when Claudine tried to catch her during class, Tendou Maya hardly acknowledged her.

"Tendou Maya, will you talk to me?" Claudine tried hard to push back the frustration but she couldn't help it. Everything was going off the script already. Tendou Maya was supposed to like her right away and they'd be best friends! Why wasn't Tendou Maya acting like the adults told Claudine she'd be?

"Must I?" Tendou Maya asked. Even the casual way she spoke infuriated Claudine. In all her years of watching her, Tendou Maya had never acted like this before! She had always been a friendly, if a bit distant, girl.

"Well, why won't you?" Claudine countered.

Tendou Maya looked at her, pushed her lips together, and answered. "Because, Saijou Claudine, you still disappoint me."

Claudine stared at her back, her mouth dropping in shock. She didn't care that this was being televised and everyone could see her right now.

What… what… what was her problem?!

"How dare she?! What an annoying girl!" Claudine hissed as she fumed off to the side of the practice room. Junna, wiping the sweat off her forehead, sent her a look afterward.

"Maybe you should try a different way?" Junna suggested. "It doesn't seem like what you're doing is effective."

"What do you mean effective?" Claudine frowned at her. "This is how they told me to act, but Tendou Maya isn't buying it."

"I don't think that's what Tendou is interested in." Junna took a drink from her water bottle. She was tired, even more so than the rest of them. Junna's endurance and stamina wasn't the best but she was always practicing so hard, now that Claudine noticed. She had been Junna's dance partner since Tendou Maya refused to, and Claudine didn't need to pretend with Junna.

"That's just a feeling, though." Junna looked at her out of the corner of her eye. "I appreciate you not going easy on me. I think Tendou might like that too."

Thinking over Junna's words, Claudine went home that day and dug out the "script" they had given her. It wasn't really one, more of a set of guidelines that they had written down for her. They wanted her to play a certain type of friend for Tendou Maya, the supportive best friend role. Tendou Maya was a quiet girl, always serious to a fault, and so they thought that she would need someone to encourage her.

That role sounded a bit boring for Claudine, especially if she had to play this one for years, but she didn't complain. If that was what they wanted, then that was what they got! That's what they were hiring Claudine to play, right? She had to live up to those expectations.

Except now, Tendou Maya refused to even talk to her. If Claudine couldn't be her best friend, they would choose another girl to give that role to—or worse, kick her off the set.

But the "script" they had given her wasn't working. They had told her Tendou Maya would warm up to her, but she was acting the opposite! Tendou Maya wasn't following the script at all! If Claudine continued acting this way… then Tendou Maya would never want to talk to her at this rate!

Then… Claudine had to improvise.

When the time for practice came again, Claudine beelined straight for Tendou Maya again. In the beginning, all the other girls had done the same, asking Tendou Maya to be their partner… but none of them could keep up with her. The excitement of being on TV next to Tendou Maya couldn't stop the disappointment from the girls when they realized they couldn't keep up as Tendou Maya's partner.

This was too perfect a situation for Claudine to swoop in.

If Tendou Maya really know who Claudine was, she would have been falling over herself to be friends with her! Even Claudine caught it, the way the other girls looked at her and whispered to each other. She knew what they had to be talking about, and that certainly had to be how and why a famous actor like Claudine was here! When Claudine partnered with some of them, she could see the stars in their eyes.

But that didn't mean anything to Tendou Maya's world.

Claudine was confident in herself, though. She had what none of these other girls had, and that was real experience. Just as Tendou Maya was always pushing herself, Claudine was too. She knew once this show was done, she would have stiff competition in Tendou Maya if they chose to audition for the same roles.

Tendou Maya looked at her when Claudine marched up to her. She turned toward Claudine but other than the slight twitch of her eyes, the usual indifferent look she always had didn't change at all. Claudine wanted to wipe it off.

At the end of the day, Claudine knew... the star of this show was Tendou Maya. Everyone revolved around Tendou Maya. This whole world they were now living in, this pretend classroom with all these girls, the dance they were about to do—

It was all because of Tendou Maya.

That was also why Claudine was here too, right? It was because of Tendou Maya! Because Claudine had watched this show! Because Claudine had been captivated!

If Tendou Maya refused to look at her…

Well! Claudine would make her look at her! Instead of placing her hand in Tendou Maya's like intended, she reached out and grabbed her hand instead, pulling her forward to take the lead.

"Let's see you keep up with me, Tendou Maya!" Claudine declared as she held out her hand toward her.

The teacher sent her a warning look but Claudine ignored it. Tendou Maya blinked at her, clearly surprised. There, Claudine saw it, the sparkle of interest replacing her usual polite indifference. She placed her hand in Claudine's.

"Show me, Saijou Claudine," she said, the challenge more than clear, and without answering, Claudine pulled her along.

Infuriatingly, Tendou Maya did keep up with her. Even though Claudine had more experience and had also trained under renowned instructors as well, Tendou Maya followed her every step. Not perfectly, but whatever stumbles she made, she quickly corrected. Claudine had even caught several times where she tried to take control back, but Claudine refused.

No way was she doing that!

Claudine didn't know how long they danced. She thought the teacher would stop them but nothing came. Instead, she focused on Tendou Maya, trying to stay in the lead. One mistake meant Tendou Maya would take the lead. Yet, every dip, every spin, every twirl—Tendou Maya followed through it all.

They continued dancing until finally, the teacher did stop them, with a shout and clap of her hands. Claudine finally slowed her feet, and Tendou Maya did as well.

Claudine was panting, and so was Tendou Maya, and still, neither of them wanted to break contact. Something hot burned inside of Claudine, like she'd been standing next to a heater for too long, but from the inside instead. Unlike that though, this sensation was more… more nicer? Was that how to describe it? Like a pleasant hum instead of her skin feeling itchy.

"Alright, alright," their teacher clapped her hands to get everyone's attention, "get back to practice everyone!"

Both Claudine and Maya blinked, the spell broken now. Everyone else had stopped to watch them. The two of them looked around, to everyone getting back into their dances before their eyes fell back on each other.

Claudine was the one who let go first, hurriedly snapping her hand back like she hadn't meant to keep it there. She saw Maya make a funny face, like she couldn't figure something out. It wasn't as if Claudine knew what her own self was feeling either though.

It took a moment before either of them began to move again. This time now though, it was Tendou Maya in front of her, holding out her hand for Claudine. Where she had looked at Claudine with disappointment before, now Claudine could see the intrigue and challenge instead.

"Saijou Claudine," Tendou Maya began, "you'll be my partner."

Claudine stood outside the school gates, staring at her watch impatiently as she watched the seconds hand move by. Maya had said she wasn't going to take long, where was she?

"Claudine?"

There she was! Claudine turned to look at Maya, a slight frown on her face. "You took a while. Did something happen?"

"Ah, no, it was… simply something else that I had to take care of," Maya said. For some reason, she looked away from Claudine as she spoke, and Claudine was tempted to press the matter further. Before she could though, Maya stepped forward. "I'm sorry I kept you waiting."

"It's fine," Claudine said with a shake of her head. It was strange, but whatever. If it didn't seem to bother Maya, then it really had to be nothing.

If anything, Claudine could technically rewatch what Maya was trying to hide… but that didn't feel right. She had done it a few times when they were younger and Claudine still couldn't figure out Maya properly, but the feeling of doing something like that didn't sit right with Claudine anymore. It felt like… cheating, somehow.

"Anyway, they opened up a new dessert place in town, want to go?" Claudine asked, gesturing with her head the direction of it. Maya's face lit up before she suddenly coughed into her hand.

"If you wish to go, I would not mind," Maya said.

Claudine almost rolled her eyes. It was more than clear that Maya had wanted to go, but she always had to voice it like this. She had never really noticed this before when she was watching Maya on TV, but now after being friends with her, she was starting to pick up even more details about Maya that she wouldn't have gotten from just watching her on TV.

If only Maya could be a little more honest with herself!

They made their way over to the dessert place. The streets were busy, with cars driving past them and people walking on the sidewalk. Claudine tried not to look at the people they passed; they were all just like her, actors or people being paid to be there and look busy so Maya didn't suspect anything. It had bothered Claudine at first before she became used to it. Sometimes, she wondered if Maya noticed, but she never mentioned anything about it… and also with the way Maya focused all her energy into improving her acting meant maybe she didn't notice anything else outside of it.

The dessert place was empty, as Claudine had expected. It was always like this as well with all the other places Claudine had gone to on her own. On the rare chance, she'd run into her other "classmates" and they would talk about how big and fake it all was. The city was big but only so to give the illusion that many people lived there, not that there really were. Even with all the money to build this whole set and hire so many people, it wasn't as if they really needed to fill in the spots.

Sometimes though, Claudine wondered where all that money came from. Or… if it was the money the director had, or the connections. Claudine (and everyone else watching the show) had only learned the other day that Maya enjoyed desserts. The cameras were always rolling on Maya but with the strict way her parents had raised her, Maya didn't voice many of her hobbies or interests beyond acting and theater.

A few days after that revelation, the director had passed Claudine a memo that he had several new shops and cafes opened in town. He didn't exactly say to bring Maya there, but he might as well have. The way the director got everything set up though… it was convenient, if a little creepy. Whatever connections the director had, Claudine didn't want to question them, nor did she ever want to be on his bad side.

Anyway, he better have been grateful to her right now, because she was showing everyone the side of Tendou Maya that no one knew about. When the server placed down the dessert they had ordered, Maya had noticeably lit up. Her eyes were wide, trained on the piece of baumkuchen she ordered in front of her.

"Have you… ever had something like this before?" Claudine asked, waving over the pastries in front of them.

"No, we seldom go out," Maya answered. Claudine couldn't help but wonder if that was because of how her parents were like, or if they were also trying to keep Maya inside as much as possible. "We have a personal chef but my mother insists that we not indulge in dessert."

Oh? That sounded funny to hear, that even someone like Maya wasn't allowed to eat whatever she wanted, and funnier still that Maya's mother said that about dessert but Claudine saw the fancy dinners they always had.

"Well… dig in," Claudine said, gesturing to the food. Maya nodded and looked back down at the table.

It was like it was the holidays and Maya had been given so many gifts that she didn't know what to open first. The way she always made sure to hold herself up with dignity and poise made Claudine forget that Maya was still someone her age. Someone who just happened to be a few days older, even!

It was just… hard to read Maya at times. She focused so intently on her acting and wanting to be the best that it felt like there wasn't room for anything else. Claudine understood that part very well. Other than that though, it felt like Maya didn't think about anything else… or now that Claudine knew it, she didn't reveal this part of herself to other people often. It had taken a lot of strongarming from Claudine herself to even get her to agree to come out today, and that was after they did their extra practices after school too.

"Claudine, may I ask you a question?" Maya spoke up suddenly. Claudine looked at her—wait, Maya had already finished her dessert when Claudine wasn't even halfway through hers?! Maya cleared her throat, and Claudine hurriedly brought her attention back up to Maya.

"Quo—I mean, what is it?" Claudine was interested. It wasn't often that Maya asked her about things beyond acting and theater.

"Can you tell me about France?" Maya looked at her. "That was where you said you were from before you moved here, right?"

"France?" Claudine lit up at the mention of her home. It was fine to tell Maya about the world outside this set, right? Well, whatever, it wasn't like Maya was going to have the chance to visit soon anyway. Claudine would jump at any chance to talk about her home.

She told Maya about everything. The house she had lived in where her father still was, the playground nearby that she used to go to everyday, the museums and old palaces that were abundant, all the beautiful beaches she had gone to, the different towns that weren't just Paris—everything she could think of. If Maya had any questions, she answered them too, but Maya seemed more content to listen to her.

After a while, Claudine realized she had been rambling on and abruptly stopped herself. That wasn't… that wasn't supposed to happen. Even though Maya was listening to her attentively, that… Claudine wasn't supposed to talk all that much.

This wasn't her show.

"Sorry, I just sort of went on," Claudine mumbled, stabbing her fork into her half eaten pudding.

"No, it… it all sounds wonderful. Perhaps I can ask my parents if we might be able to visit someday." Maya leaned back in her chair, looking thoughtful and… maybe a little bit hopeful.

Claudine almost made a face but she hid it by quickly finishing the rest of her dessert and taking a sip of the tea she had also ordered. It was rare to see the open feelings on Maya's usually reserved demeanor. That meant she had to be really excited.

She wondered when they were going to finish running this show so Maya could go out and visit. Or maybe they could do a special where Maya got to visit other countries? Claudine didn't know how that was supposed to work though.

Maya was about to speak again before a buzzing sound came. They stared at each other before Maya began to go through her bag and fished out her cellphone. She quickly excused herself, going outside the store to speak to whoever had called her.

Claudine watched her go before turning back to the table. She was still thinking about whether it had been fine for her to speak to Maya or not. Surely, they had told Maya about the rest of the world, right? They were going to eventually let her out of this set, right?

… right?

"Claudine, I'm sorry, that was my mother," Maya said once she came back, smiling apologetically. "She gets worried if I don't come back home right on the dot."

"No, I understand," Claudine said with a wave of her hand.

Even on this show, Maya's parents were unusually strict. Was that normal, or was that just for the show though? Claudine was finding that she had a lot of questions that she never had before.

"I enjoyed our outing today, Claudine. Thank you for inviting me," Maya said. She seemed to hesitate slightly before a small smile spread across her face. "I really enjoyed this time together."

Claudine nearly gawked, feeling her face turn warm for some reason. It wasn't very often that Maya smiled like that. Whenever she did smile, it always felt like a smirk, like a challenge. Seeing Maya smile like this…

It was… it was nice.

Not that Claudine would ever say that aloud to her face!

"N-no problem," Claudine said, coughing into her hand so she could clear her throat from the strange lump that had formed.

Really, did no one else think to treat Maya out? She might have acted like she was older, but she was still a thirteen year old girl!

"Maybe, sometime, we can watch a play or movie sometime then," Claudine offered as they stood outside the cafe now. She wondered if that was fine. Those… those had to be fine, right? "Just to get some tips and pointers! You can't always be practicing all the time!" she said, jabbing a finger at her.

Maya laughed softly. "Funny that I should hear that from you, Claudine."

"At least I know when to stop," Claudine said with a roll of her eyes.

"Yes, yes. I will have to keep at it as well. You may very easily sweep out position zero from underneath me one day."

"That's right! So don't slack off! I mean, don't push yourself either!" Claudine scowled. "Stop being so sneaky."

"I don't have any idea what you're talking about," Maya said even though Claudine could see the corners of her lips twitching.

"Ah, but also…" Maya glanced down toward Claudine's legs. "You were stumbling slightly today. Did you strain your leg?"

"Wha—you noticed that?" Claudine was sure that she had hid it well.

"We're partners, Claudine. Of course I did," Maya said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Your injury will slow us down when we practice, you understand. So heal up as fast as you can so we can get back to practicing together."

"... right."

Her words were cold, but Claudine understood now that this was… simply how Maya talked. She knew how it would look to the viewers though, and it almost made her wince when she imagined the flood of comments by complete strangers decrying Maya for being a cold and emotionless person.

Maya was right, though. Claudine couldn't slow down Maya, whose eyes were always up toward the stars. It wasn't as if Claudine didn't aim for the same, but she knew… on this show, it was all about Maya. She yearned for position zero but she knew, in accepting to be here on this set, she would never get it.

For the next several days, Claudine allowed herself to rest no matter how much she itched to practice. When she saw Maya practicing alone though, her competitive spirit flared inside of her. She had to push it down, though. Even she didn't want to embarrass herself in front of the people watching the show.

When Claudine finally recovered, the teacher announced the next play they would perform.

An air of excitement went through the class. Claudine felt it but always thought it was funny, given that everyone knew exactly who the lead role would go to.

Of course, it would be Maya who would be the star of this play, because of course it would be, as dictated by… well, everyone running this show. Even when they had polled the audience to see if they wanted to see Maya in a role outside of the lead, it had been an overwhelmingly no.

Before, Claudine would have asked herself: did Maya truly deserve the role? Now that Claudine had seen her acting close up… she really was the real deal. Being trained by all these actors, and even having her real parents replaced with top notch actors since the very beginning… it was paying off.

Maya was truly one of the biggest and brightest stars Claudine had ever bore witness to.

And yet… something about that made Claudine feel…

"I'm going to be announcing the roles for the next play!" their teacher called out, clapping her hands to get everyone's attention. "Gather around."

Everyone gathered around the teacher in a circle, faces alight with excitement. Only Maya and Claudine stood back away from everyone, calmly waiting.

Claudine already knew how this was going to end anyway.

"The lead role for this play goes to… Tendou Maya!"

The disappointed voices of all the other girls filled the room. Claudine didn't know why they were disappointed. Of course it would go to Tendou Maya. Claudine knew that for a fact.

It was all as expected. The spotlight was never meant to be on them.

This was, after all, The Pride of Tendou Maya.

The play ended to the thunderous applause of the audience. As she bowed, Claudine could see her own mother off to the side, waving to her with a bright smile. Claudine's smile was just as bright.

No matter how many times she had done this though, Claudine always thought it was weird. The feeling of accomplishment of performing her best for a show and seeing the audience enjoy her performance was real, there was no doubt about that. But this was like… a show within a show. It was always a full house every time they performed, but sometimes Claudine wondered if the audience sitting out there were also paid to be there like they all were. Did they really enjoy the show? Or were they also being paid to act like it?

The thought began to unsettle Claudine. It had never bothered her but as of late, her thoughts had always wondered back to this. It had been eight years since she had come here. Many of the girls who had been there in the beginning had left, and some had been replaced with new hires, eager for a chance to be on the show. Just as the girls did before, they tried to get close to Maya, only to be burned away when they saw just how brightly and intensely Maya shone.

Yet, Claudine was still here. Why was she still here? As long as Claudine stayed here, she would remain in Maya's shadow.

In the end though… Claudine was always free to leave whenever she wanted. She had no doubt that after being on this show, she would have offers lining up. And yet, when she thought about doing just that, she was hesitant.

What did that mean?

"Claudine, you're here."

Maya stood in front of her, still costumed from the play they had just finished. The fake blood was still on her, on both her face and clothes. It was comical, watching her smile even with that cosmetic on.

"Of course I am—"

"Maya."

A deep voice called out from the side of the stage. Almost immediately, Claudine felt the air shift. No longer were the actors and stage tech joking around with each other as they cleaned up the stage, everyone seemed to freeze at the same time.

It had been Maya's father who called out, striding backstage with Maya's mother next to him. For a split second, the smile on Maya's face fell before her expression quickly smoothed over like a stone. Everyone else straightened quickly and shuffled away. Claudine didn't blame them, considering Maya's parents.

"Mother, Father," Maya greeted with a tiny nod. "How was the performance tonight?"

"Fine, but I thought your last performance was better," her mother said with a quiet sniff. Claudine quickly turned away to busy herself with putting aside the props, hoping Maya's mother didn't see her frown.

"Ah." Maya nodded. "I'll make sure to correct that for next time."

They stayed to chat with Maya a little longer before they left. Claudine watched them leave. The tension in Maya's body remained but when they disappeared from sight, Claudine saw the subtle drop of her shoulders.

Maya's parents… a world renowned actor and a former opera singer. That was their "role" on the set, but they were the real deal. To raise Maya to be the best, they had truly found the most capable. Claudine had remembered they showed up once to one of her performances as a child.

Sometimes though, Claudine wondered. Would they really be considered Maya's parents? They were given to her and agreed to be her parents but that was for this show. When this show ended… what would happen when Maya's real parents came back?

What did they think about her?

… when was this show going to end, actually? Now that Claudine thought about it, she had never been given an end date. What they had told her was that she was free to leave whenever she didn't want to be on the show anymore. One day she could wake up and decide she wanted to be out, and they would take her off. Easy.

But... what about Maya?

"Everyone! We'll be starting the party soon!" their teacher called out, waving together all the girls. Claudine pushed the thought out of her mind. She could think about this later.

As always, there was a party at the end of their play to celebrate the end of the play. Maya and Claudine, along with everyone else who had performed, had changed out of their costumes into their school uniforms as they went out into the school courtyard where the party was and enjoyed the food. Claudine didn't miss the way Maya eyed everything laid out on the table.

Claudine flitted around the other party, talking to everyone. She tried to chat with the new girls but they didn't seem receptive to her so she gave up. When Maya came around though, they were suddenly talkative, almost trying to speak over each other.

Oh, right, it was because the cameras were on Maya. Of course. The new girls were only there for the camera, for the chance to be in the spotlight.

"Enjoying yourself, Claudine?"

Claudine turned her head to see Junna there, who was looking over everyone else.

"Fine, I guess," Claudine said. Junna shared her same sentiments about everything so Claudine didn't bother with the pleasantries.

While Claudine tried not to let her thoughts bother her, something about tonight made it harder to push them away. For one, even though everyone else was enjoying the celebration, Junna looked unusually serious. She always looked like that, but even she tried to lighten up after they finished a play.

"Claudine, I've got something to tell you," Junna suddenly said. She gestured for Claudine to follow her. Claudine did, wondering if this had to do with Junna's serious expression.

Junna led them to a darkened corner of the courtyard, past one of the school buildings. They couldn't see any of their classmates now but they could still hear the faint noise of the party.

"Claudine, I'm thinking of leaving," Junna said once they were out of sight and earshot of everyone.

"What?" Claudine stared at her. Out of everyone that was still here, it was Junna that Claudine liked the most. She had to spend her time with Maya, of course, but she liked hanging out with Junna too.

If Junna was going to leave, then…

"There's just something not right with being here," Junna said. She looked all around before she stared upward, toward one of the buildings next to them. Claudine followed her gaze, and knew immediately what Junna meant. Even with the darkness and its small size, Claudine knew that Junna was staring where a camera was.

"You might think I'm sounding paranoid." Junna pushed up her glasses as she glanced around again. "But it's starting to feel different around here too. I think this is as far as I can go."

Claudine didn't know what to say. It wasn't as if she didn't understand Junna's concerns either. The new girls that had come here… they were fierce and competitive, but in a different way. Something about them seemed… Maya was always intense and never held back on her criticism if Claudine were to ask her, but Claudine knew that was because she wanted improvement. Some of the new girls though… they seemed more intent on wanting to be harsh for the sake of being mean. It felt awful.

"No, I get it," Claudine finally said, looking over at Junna, who seemed surprised at her.

"I'm not sure if they'll allow us to keep in touch, but…"

Junna looked around again, as if checking to make sure they were alone before she leaned forward. She hugged Claudine, and although Claudine was surprised, she awkwardly hugged back.

That was when she felt Junna's hand slipping into her pocket—

"Claudine, and Junna."

The two of them broke apart with lightning speed and whirled around to find Maya. She was smiling but Claudine felt an edge to it, almost like she was displeased instead. Had something happened during the party when Claudine wasn't there?

"What were you two talking about?" Maya asked before Claudine could speak.

"Oh, nothing much," Claudine answered with a wave of her hand, looking over at Junna instead questioningly. She missed the way Maya narrowed her eyes a bit at the dismissive answer.

"I'm leaving now, anyway," Junna said. She met Claudine's eyes for a split second before swinging her eyes over to Maya. With a nod, she walked away from the two of them.

Claudine wanted to look at what Junna had given her, but if Junna had done it that way… then that meant she couldn't do it here, not in front of Maya, who had all the cameras on her. The camera that Junna and her had noticed earlier had been looking elsewhere but now that Maya was here, it was turned toward them.

Claudine tried not to let it bother her.

"Well, what's up?" Claudine asked, seeing that Maya wasn't going to say anything. She was still looking strangely at where Junna had gone.

"I noticed you weren't around, so I wanted to see where you were," Maya replied, turning her head back to look at Claudine.

"Oh. Do you want to head back right now, then?" Claudine moved to go back, brushing past Maya—

"Wait." Maya had grabbed her arm. "Claudine, before that, I wanted to ask you a question."

"Yeah?" Claudine turned to Maya, a smile on her face—the expression fell from her face when she noticed the unusually grave look Maya had on instead. "What… what is it?"

Something inside of Claudine seem to drop to her stomach. She had a bad feeling about this for some reason. Why did she feel this way though? Maya sometimes spoke too bluntly, she had never meant any harm. Why did Claudine suddenly feel afraid? It made her want to change the topic instead.

But it wasn't as if she could brush it aside. She had promised to be Maya's best friend, and that meant talking about difficult things. No, they weren't best friends, they were partners. Claudine had no choice.

"Claudine, do you ever feel as if…" Maya paused, uncharacteristically averting her eyes away from Claudine. Now that was worrisome. Claudine straightened herself up, alert now. Maya never hesitated.

"Maya? What's wrong? You can always tell me if something's bothering you," she said. "Spit it out, you troublesome girl."

A hint of a smile came onto Maya's mouth. "Troublesome…" she murmured. Her brow furrowed before she looked back at Claudine, expression unusually solemn. What was it tonight, between Junna and Maya?

"Do you… do you ever feel as if you're trapped?" Maya met her eyes for a second before looking away to stare ahead of her toward the darkness. "Perhaps I might sound strange, but there are times where I feel like things… aren't quite what they should be."

Claudine stared at her. Maya suddenly seemed uncomfortable, almost as if she was self-conscious now. Tendou Maya, self-conscious. That was a funny thought… if Claudine didn't feel her stomach sinking. Claudine opened her mouth—no sound came out. She had to say something, she needed to say something… but nothing was coming.

"Like… like what?" Claudine finally forced out.

"Like… I'm…" she fell silent, shaking her head. "I'm not sure how to explain it, but it feels as if… like that time I forgot to wear my ribbon. I had been in a rush to get to school and forgotten about it and though I did not realize I had forgotten it, something about me felt off, like I was missing something."

Maya had grown increasingly frantic as she spoke, and now as she looked over at Claudine, the desperation was more than clear on her. "Can you understand me, Claudine?"

Claudine couldn't speak. All she could do was stare at Maya, her eyes wide with what she hoped was disbelief and not… shame.

How had Maya realized it? Did something happen to tip her off? No, that couldn't have been. Claudine always made sure to be careful, and as much as the other girls tried to get Maya's attention, they were also careful to hide everything.

What could Claudine say now? How could she assuage Maya's fears? How could she say anything to the contrary… when Maya suspected right?

Maya began to look at her worriedly. "Claudine? Is everything okay?"

A bead of sweat on the back of Claudine's neck began to trail down as Claudine continued to stare. She opened her mouth to speak—

"Laugh it off."

The earpiece she wore every single day since being on this set crackled to life. Claudine jolted in response. She heard the words loud and clear… and she feared that Maya had also heard them as well. She had held her breath, waited for Maya to ask whose voice that was… and all Maya did was continue to stare obliviously.

Claudine was an actor, she could do this—

"Laugh it off," came the voice again, firmer. She didn't recognize this voice, didn't know who it could be. "Make up an excuse. Tell her it's all in your imagination. You've been tired from studying for your exams."

"Say something."

Never had Claudine felt a stronger urge than now to rip out the earpiece and toss it aside, except that would reveal…

Claudine cleared her throat instead and put her hands on her hips as she frowned. "What the heck are you talking about, Maya? Maybe you've practiced too hard or the stress of the performance got to you tonight." She shook her head, rubbing at her temple as she smiled apologetically. "And sorry, Maya, I'm just a little bit tired right now. We just finished performing, so…"

"Ah." Maya nodded, concern for Claudine taking over the solemn expression on her face. It was almost strange to see how fast she could change when it came to Claudine's wellbeing… since Claudine needed to be in top form to keep pushing Maya. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize you were so tired after our play."

Claudine laughed, but it sounded painfully awkward. She was relieved… but to lie so boldly in front of Maya's face—

No… Claudine's entire existence here was based on a lie.

"I…" Maya suddenly paused and looked away. "May I… still ask you something else, then?"

Once again, the pit of dread formed inside Claudine. If she said no, though… that would have looked suspicious. Instead, she nodded, and braced herself.

"What do you think of the future, then, Claudine?" Maya asked, her voice soft.

"The future?" That… that was it? That was what Maya wanted? That was an easy question. Claudine didn't need a script or people whispering in her ear for this.

"I'm going to aim to be the very best actor in the whole world! Everyone in the world will know my name!" she declared, as she always had.

And yet, something about that felt… off. It felt like something inside of her was twisting. She frowned at herself, wondering what it was that made her feel so strangely now. Her goals and dreams had never changed, right? Her aim had always been the top.

But when she was here, it was always Maya who was at the top. When Claudine had been younger, she was always irritated that they always decided that Tendou Maya would be the lead for all the plays they would perform.

"Sometimes, she isn't the best actor for a role!" she had snapped once.

Off camera, of course. If she had said this in front of them, she was sure that she would have been deemed as a selfish and spoiled brat and kicked off the show.

Maya though… even though Maya herself didn't know that all the roles would always go to her, she always worked as hard as she could to fit the role she had been selected. No technique or skill was too hard for Maya, who would practice and practice until she could barely stand. Maya was already exceptionally talented, the adults and her professional actor of a "father" thought so, but Maya would never lose the chance to practice and make herself better. Claudine had seen that more than enough; Claudine herself had been there, but literally and figuratively.

Claudine understood what Maya felt, that deep drive and ambition to stand at the top with talent and skill earned through all their hard work.

As long as Claudine stuck around here, she would never be the Top Star that she had always dreamed of, the one that she had always been. She was, as some of the ruder girls and viewers had put it, Tendou Maya's shadow. She would never rise to take the lead. She was trapped here.

Everyone… was wrong about that, though. It wasn't Claudine that was trapped here.

It was Maya.

Maya's soft laughter broke through Claudine's thoughts. It made Claudine frown, almost pout. "What? You think that's funny?" she said.

Maya quickly waved a hand. "No… it's just… you really haven't changed, even as a child."

"As a child? What do you mean by that? You mean I haven't changed since we first met?"

"... oh." Maya blinked, like she hadn't to say that. Now, she looked… embarrassed? What did this mean? Was she hiding something? A sly smile came to Claudine. If she could tease Maya for a bit, she could change this conversation to something better.

"I meant…" Maya started just before Claudine could speak, "just like when you did your first performance as Arrie."

A strange sound came out of Claudine. Wait… how did Maya watch that? They had told her that any sort of media here was tightly controlled. Yet, they allowed her childhood play to come through though?

Claudine had done that play when she was little… and she didn't start watching The Pride of Tendou Maya until maybe… a year or two afterward? She had heard about it but thought it was another boring TV show that the adults were watching until she managed to get a glimpse of it on TV… and the rest was history.

It made sense that Claudine had missed that, then. But that also meant… that meant…

"You… you watched me perform that?" Claudine whispered, her voice full of disbelief.

"My father recommended it to me, actually." Maya coughed into her hand. "We watched a recording that he had, and… I asked him to buy the collection when it came out as well. And some merch that they sold."

Claudine abruptly went back to her childhood, when she remembered a man standing in front of her as he handed her an award—

"Your father!" she almost screamed, the realization coming to her. "The one who gave me that award!"

"Yes, that was why he recommended me to watch your play. It has inspired me very much, all these years. The way you acted, how I could feel every emotion from you..." Maya's voice was soft, still embarrassed at her admission.

Wait. If Maya had all of that, how had Claudine never seen it? She had never seen a glimpse of it even when she was in Maya's room—she had never seen that on TV either. The question was already at the tip of her tongue until she caught herself at the last second.

"You know, when you first showed up all those years back, I couldn't believe it. Saijou Claudine, right in front of me?" Maya laughed to herself. "I confess I had no idea how to act. But when we were paired together for the first time, you pretended you didn't know how to dance."

"I had watched the movie and the videos of all the practice you had gone through, so I thought I had an idea of what you were capable of. Then… well, I had been disappointed."

"But then afterward, you blew me away. I don't know why you were pretending in the beginning, but I'm glad you stopped." A light had come to Maya's eyes. "This was the Saijou Claudine that I had watched… and wanted to be like."

"That's why, I want to see how far you'll go, too, Claudine. Oh, but, of course, I'll be there to compete for your roles as well." Maya added, and Claudine almost laughed, but not at Maya's attempt at a joke.

This was too much for Claudine to handle. She didn't know what was worse, knowing that Maya had watched her performance as a child, or knowing that Maya looked up to her too.

But that explained Maya's behavior in the beginning, why she had acted that way. It was because she had seen how Claudine was, and judged her for what she had seen, not how she was.

Maya had done the same thing to Claudine... as Claudine had done the same to her.

But Claudine couldn't say her admission aloud, that she had also watched Maya. For years even!

Something thick seemed to tighten inside Claudine's chest. It was uncomfortable, like something was squeezing her from the inside. What was it? Why was she feeling this way? Wasn't this what she wanted, to have Maya pay attention to her, pay attention to her acting?

Wasn't… wasn't this what Claudine had wanted, all along?

Overwhelmed by everything she had just learned and her thoughts all swirling all around like a tornado, Claudine didn't realize that Maya began to look at her strangely now. "Claudine? You seem unwell right now, are you fine?" Maya asked as she walked closer, placing a hand on Claudine's arm.

Claudine yelped, flinching away in shock, except her feet tangled together and she felt herself falling backward—

But she didn't hit the ground. Maya had lunged forward, managing to grab Claudine's hand that was flailing and, maybe it was instinctively considering the number of times they had done this, easily wrapped her other arm around Claudine's back, like she was dipping Claudine instead.

Maya blinked at her, violet eyes wide open in shock. Claudine was frozen. First it was being shocked by everything Maya had just revealed to her, now it was Maya saving her from falling onto the painful cement and also being so close to her.

It wasn't like they had never been in this position before, but… neither of them moved away, eyes trained on each other. Maya's hair fell around Claudine like a curtain, and when Maya breathed, they brushed against Claudine's face, soft and velvety. Something in Maya's eyes seemed to soften, and the hand that held Claudine's began to tremble. Maya stared at her before Claudine saw her eyes drift downward, to stare at something in particular—Maya was looking at her lips, she realized.

If… if Claudine leaned up… or if Maya leaned down… if the both of them leaned forward just… just a little bit, then… then they would…

"Maya! Where are you?" someone called out.

They broke apart. Claudine almost stumbled again but caught herself in time while Maya was pointedly clearing her throat. With a quick glance toward Claudine, Maya left, to see who was calling her.

Claudine leaned against the wall, a hand on her chest. It felt like her heart was going to drum right out of her, for everyone to hear.

What… what had that been? What was that? What had happened?!

So many questions, and Claudine wasn't sure if she would ever get the answer to any of them.

But most of all… The knot of doubt inside of Claudine, formed several years ago, began to grow… and it didn't stop even after Claudine tried to force it down. Now that Maya was gone and Claudine left to her own thoughts, she tried to calm down and organize them.

Did… was there… was there a possibility that Maya suspected about… about everything? Why was she allowed to watch Claudine's play? Was there anything significant about it?

Maya had been watching her as well.

Despite… whatever it was that had—nearly happened at the end, an uneasiness entered Claudine.

Then, a new realization hit Claudine.

That conversation between them was… personal, intimate. Maya had shared a little bit more about herself, and Claudine revealed herself as well. They had never really talked like that with each other before until now, so focused on training and practicing.

And the world had been watching. Strangers had been listening.

The knot that Claudine had pushed down earlier came back with a vengeance, growing even bigger. She felt her heart start to race, just as quickly as her mind did. Once again, too many thoughts were going through her head.

The moment Claudine got home, she went straight to her room, locking her door for good measure too. She sat on her bed and took out her phone, her hands trembling. Her thumb hovered over the icon of the app she meant to press. With a heavy breath, she tapped it, typed in the keywords she needed in the search, and began to read the results.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! What was with the atmosphere at the end? Do you think they're going to—"

"Don't you think Maya looked really cute that time? It looked like she was about to confess!"

"What do you mean confess? Confess what? How much she loves food?"

"Wow, I didn't know Maya was someone who thought so deeply about things like that."

"This is boring, tell her to go back to the party already."

"I bet Junna and Claudine were up to no good!"

"Ugh, I bet the director told Claudine to get up there. They don't even look good together."

"Wasn't that whole conversation dangerous though? What's going to happen if Maya realizes —"

Claudine released the breath she'd held, not even realizing she was holding one in the first place. Scrolling through all the comments and reading everything… it made her heart drum again, but not in the good way. The more she read, the angrier she felt. She wanted to respond to all of them, refute everything they were assuming.

I never used my earpiece at all! They've never fed me any lines! Everything is real! Maya isn't some stupid girl who has her head in the clouds! And what do you mean we don't even look good together?!

And whatever happens between Maya and me is none of your business! Stop watching!

But Claudine was right though. All these strangers had seen both Maya and her, and now they were talking about her as if they were just characters on a show, and not… and not the real people that they were. At least, Maya was real. There was no acting there. Everyone had to know that, right?

… right?

In the end though, that was… that was what it all looked like to strangers, didn't it?

She remembered thinking the same way about Tendou Maya.

But they weren't being characters then. They were Tendou Maya and Saijou Claudine… they had shared bits of their childhood with each other and everyone had watched their moment of intimacy and vulnerability. If Claudine was a watcher, she knew this part would be the emotional scene that everyone was waiting for.

Everything swirled in her mind. The play they had performed, Junna announcing she was leaving, the admission of Maya watching her play, the dream she had shared, the way Maya was so close and Claudine wanted nothing more than to lean in—

And the way Claudine had done nothing but lie to Maya the entire time.

Claudine put her phone away and sat in the darkness for a long time.

Several weeks passed before their teacher announced their next play.

"We'll be performing Starlight," their teacher called out, passing out a script to everyone.

Claudine had never heard of it, and it seemed like no one else did either. Was it a completely new one that they had made for the show? All the previous plays they had performed before were existing ones. Maybe this one could be interesting.

As always, Maya was assigned the lead role of Claire… and Claudine was given the role of Flora.

Junna had left a week earlier. The excuse was that her parents had gotten a new job elsewhere and now Junna was moving, somewhere overseas. Never mind that Junna never talked about her parents or even mentioned a desire about wanting to go overseas, this was the excuse they had decided. It could've been better, but Maya believed it, and that was all that mattered.

They moved right into practicing. It was a long play and they still had to decide the other goddesses so those parts were an open audition between the other girls.

On one day though, Claudine had been held up by the teacher as she was heading to practice with Maya, and now she was running to her locker. Even though she knew she wasn't meant to run in school, it wasn't as if this was a real school no matter how much they tried to pretend it was.

The sound of giggling reached Claudine's ears. That was weird. No one else stayed as late as Maya and her did when they got into their practice sessions, and even Claudine stayed later than Maya did since she didn't have the luxury of a practice room at the house given to her.

That was the first sign Claudine should have known something was off.

Following the noise, Claudine rounded the corner and found two girls huddled close to each other in front of a locker. They were obviously suspicious, and trying to hide what they were doing. Whatever it was, it had to be something bad.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?!" Claudine shouted, and the two girls startled, turning to look at her before dashing away. She wanted to chase after them but she had to check what they were tampering with.

When she saw whose locker they were at though, she froze. This… this was Tendou Maya's locker. But… but why? That didn't make sense; they were all here to be a supporting cast for Maya. Why were they doing this? Something like this could throw everything off the script! What was the point?

Claudine knew she only had a matter of time to check what they had done. Searching quickly, Claudine looked through the locker. Nothing seemed out of place though. She picked up the pair of shoes inside—

Something clacked onto the floor. Claudine looked down, and paled as she found tacks and needles.

"What…" Claudine looked through the rest of the locker but didn't find anything else, only the dangerous things inside the shoes.

As carefully as she could, she put Maya's shoes back in as close to how she had found them, minus the pins she had found inside. She thought about keeping them but realized quickly that she couldn't do anything with this. The girls had run away before Claudine could get a good look at who they were, unfortunately.

If she couldn't identify them, then there was only one thing for her to do.

Once she was home, she immediately went up to her room. She looked all around, taking the time to scrutinize every corner of her room to make sure there weren't any cameras. With Junna's departure and parting words, Claudine had… grown suspicious. When she was sure that she wasn't being recorded, she took her phone, dialled her agent to demand he put her through to the director, and waited.

"Hello," a deep voice answered at the other end of Claudine's phone, "how nice to hear from you, Saijou Claudine."

"I have something to report to you," Claudine said as calmly as she could. She never liked talking to the director, and for some reason, from the way he had answered… it sounded like he was expecting her call.

But that was impossible; when Claudine had found those girls, she knew for certain that the cameras hadn't been on them… and now that Claudine was at her own home and away from Maya, she knew the cameras weren't on her for sure.

"Saijou Claudine," the director said, "you have something to say?"

… she could tear down her room later.

"Yes," Claudine said, trying to keep herself calm. "Today, I caught two girls tampering with Tendou Maya's locker. They meant to do serious harm to her! I want action to be taken."

"Oh?" The director didn't even sound surprised at all.

Claudine swallowed. Was it possible… that he knew? Was it—

The realization dawned on Claudine right away. Of course he knew; the cameras were always trained on Maya.

"... how long has this been happening?" Claudine asked instead, her voice low. There was something bubbling inside of her, an ugly feeling… and the direction it would go would depend on what the director would tell her.

"Ah… perhaps for a few years now? Tendou Maya is a resilient girl," the director said, chuckling lowly.

"You—you knew for so long, and you haven't done anything?!"

"I suppose to go through such adversity is because it builds character?"

"What? Don't give me that! What those girls are doing isn't fair! Aren't you liable for what happens to Maya!? There isn't—"

"I understand."

"—anything but—excuse me?"

"Your concerns." The director sounded exactly the opposite, unconcerned.

Claudine tore her phone away from her ear, staring at it with unbridled fury. If she had the strength to crush her phone, she would have no doubt done it here. If she had the means, she'd fly right over to where he was. No, she needed to calm down. For as much as Claudine wanted to rage and scream… he was still the director.

What was there for her to do now?

"You understand my concerns, but what will you do about them?" Claudine spoke, her calm voice belying the storm raging inside of her.

"What will I do? Why… Saijou Claudine, I must say, you've exceeded my expectations. You have evolved far beyond your role."

"Huh—don't change the subject! What do you even mean by that?!"

"On this stage where everyone is fighting, where everyone is taking, where everyone is evolving… Saijou Claudine, did you not come here because you wanted to prove yourself to Tendou Maya? Is this not a good opportunity for you?"

It was like someone had poured a bucket of cold water over Claudine. That… that was right, she had originally come to this set because even as young as she was, she recognized the opportunity. Being shown on one of the biggest, hottest, longest running TV shows was like a dream come true for her.

… but now, what was it? Why did she forget? Why was she… doing all of this?

"The audience is changing, and even they desire to see someone else stand at the top even if they do not say it aloud. So, if something were to happen to Tendou Maya…" he didn't finish his sentence.

Claudine understood right away what he meant to say.

"No! Absolutely not!" she snapped, furious at his insinuation. This was low, even for this show.

But they had allowed the bullying to continue for years, didn't they?

Claudine bit her lip, almost hard enough to draw blood. Why couldn't they see this was wrong? Maya wasn't… Maya wasn't their plaything! Maya wasn't an actor on the screen! Maya was a real human being, only led to believe that this entire set was her whole life! If she believed this was real, what was wrong with treating her like another person?!

"Will you be doing anything, then?"

"... you make demands from me for things that I can no longer control," the director said. "But I understand."

"I don't!" Claudine really didn't. How could this have been allowed to go on?! And… and everyone watching was fine? Fine with watching Maya get subjected to this bullying?

Claudine didn't hear anything from the director but she swore she heard something that sounded like chuckling. It made her angry. Why wasn't he taking this seriously?! Those girls might have done serious harm to Maya! Was there a reason for it? No, Claudine couldn't think of one… other than outright maliciousness.

"Do you desire it?" the director asked suddenly.

"What?" The question came so unexpectedly that all the trains of thoughts in Claudine's mind came to a halt. "What are you talking about?"

"Tendou Maya's position… do you desire it?"

"Tendou… Maya's position?"

What did that mean? Her position? Her position as Top Star? But wasn't that already decided? Tendou Maya would always be Top Star. Claudine would always be her shadow.

"Do you desire to have your own show? I suppose… 'The Pride of Saijou Claudine?' The title might need work, but I'm sure you can come up with something better." The director hummed thoughtfully.

"... what? What are you—what is—what are you saying?!" Claudine's mind was spinning now. The tone of the conversation had shifted completely and now she was struggling to catch up.

Her own show? Her very own TV show just like Maya's? Having her own show was like a dream come true!

Except instead of making her shout for joy, she felt a shiver run down her spine instead.

To have her own show… that meant constantly having cameras trained on her all the time. Every single action would be recorded, strangers all across the world would listen in on all her private conversations, anyone could tune in to see what she was doing with just the click of a button—

Claudine slapped a hand over her mouth, her stomach turning at every implication that had come to her.

Having the cameras, knowing everyone talking to her was only hired to, being trapped in a fake city where she couldn't leave…

But wasn't this because she already knew what that meant? For Maya… this was her life since she was… since she was born. She didn't know anything better. She wasn't allowed to know anything beyond this set.

Was it… fine that Maya didn't know what was happening? Was that… fair for her?

Claudine felt herself shaking, almost dropping her phone onto the floor.

Ignorance… was bliss. Claudine had always brushed aside that phrase; to know was power to her. Knowledge would always help.

Only now, did she truly understand exactly what that phrase meant.

Only now… did she truly… understand.

"Saijou Claudine, I'll leave these words for you. I only wish to see how the curtains will fall on your stage, although I must say... our dear audience might not be so receptive to your story."

The realization struck Claudine cold in the blood. That… that…

He was right. As much as Claudine hated it, he was right.

In the end, it was all for the viewers. Was it the viewers, then, who had decided to let Maya's bullying continue? It had to be. The cameras were always rolling on Maya.

Then…

Was Claudine, too, also dancing to the whims of the audience?

"I bid you a good night, Saijou Claudine. Show me how bright your star will shine—"

Claudine hung up before he could finish whatever he wanted to say. It was rude, but she couldn't stand to hear his voice right now. It made her feel sick.

Everything made her feel sick.

Claudine made herself feel sick.

Claudine lay down in her bed and stared up at the ceiling for a long time, the painful knot growing inside of her.

"Are you kidding me?! I refuse!"

Claudine threw the script on the table, furious. Across the table where he sat, her agent raised his brow at her.

"Did you not agree to our conditions when you signed up for this contract?" he said. "This is your new script."

"They've never given me anything until now! So why the change of heart?!"

"Because they finally want to run a new plotline," her agent said patiently. It sounded like he had prepared for Claudine's reaction and rehearsed his lines in front of a mirror. It made Claudine seethe.

"But why do we have to do something like this?!" Claudine glared at the script, wishing she could wipe the words from the pages.

"They ran a poll and this is the result the viewers decided on," the agent answered, his earlier patience now replaced with exasperation.

The viewers.

Of course. Of course it was all for the viewers… because who else could decide this?

"Do you understand now?" her agent asked, still eyeing her warily. "If you don't agree with me, we'll have to end—"

"I understand," Claudine answered, her voice dull.

Oh, she understood quite well… what power she truly had.

"I have one more thing I need to say though. A warning," her agent began to add. "I'm getting the feeling that the viewers have been… unsatisfied with your performance as of late. If this continues…" He let the warning hang in the air before leaving. Claudine watched him go before looking down at the script in her hands.

How did she manage to delude herself into thinking she had anything?

Claudine closed her eyes. She tried hard to push it down but there was no helping the helplessness she suddenly felt. Ever since her conversation with the director, she felt off.

Everything felt wrong. Waking up, going to school, going to practice, seeing all the girls pretend to be nice to Maya knowing what they were doing behind her back—

It felt as if there was a hole inside of Claudine, slowly pulling her apart at the seams.

What was she to do now? What could she do? What else was there for her to do?

What could Claudine do?

Everything… everything about this was so twisted. Claudine felt ashamed that she hadn't recognized this years ago… realized it was now too late for her to do anything.

Claudine opened her eyes. She looked over the script again but felt disgusted again. What an awful plotline. How could they think something like that would even work on Maya? For someone like Maya, she deserved someone that could match her. She needed someone that could keep up with her, someone that would enjoy the challenge, someone who knew how to figure out when she wasn't being honest with herself, someone who wouldn't fawn over her, someone who liked her for who she was as her own person.

Someone like… someone like...

… wait.

Wait, wait, wait.

Claudine slumped back into the couch, her hands on her face. This realization she was coming to… it couldn't be. It couldn't be. There was… there was no way! No way at all!

Why?! Why did this happen?! How?!

Claudine closed her eyes, breathed in deeply, and slowly let it all out. When she opened her eyes, they landed on the script in front of her. Once again, her hands itched to tear it all apart, but she held back.

Maya… Maya deserved better. Maya needed to be free.

Claudine had seen Maya described like a bird once. Swan was the most common bird she was compared to, and it was kind of funny, because swans were one of Maya's favorite animals. That Maya even had a favorite animal at all seemed surprising to Claudine, if she had to be honest.

But who else remembered that detail? Who else would remember that detail? Did her parents know? Did anyone else know?

In a way, Maya was like a bird… maybe even a swan. She looked beautiful, graceful, but she could be moody and vicious, and childishly stubborn to the point of obstinancy… but she could also be so passionate and intense, the way she wanted to inspire others to follow her.

And she was caged like a bird.

Claudine knew what she had to do now.

As Claudine dined outside with Maya at some cafe she didn't even bother remembering the name of, she was restless. That wasn't the important part. She was waiting, her body tense with apprehension for the events about to happen.

There was a reason they were eating outside instead of inside the (empty) restaurant: it was all so Maya would be "attacked" by some ruffians walking by. Things would escalate and it would force Claudine to pull Maya away and lead her around the alleyways in the back. Claudine would pretend to be lost before walking into a dead end, and when it looked like the attackers were about to strike, her "love interest," some random boy from a nearby school would arrive at the nick of time and fend them off from Maya. A dreamy first encounter like that with a prince was sure to make Maya swoon and fall in love.

What a joke.

Clichéd, honestly, but plotlines like this were always eaten up, especially with someone as proud as Tendou Maya. It still disgusted Claudine knowing that they were writing such a shoddy storyline for this "romance." Tendou Maya was better than trying to be some girl who needed to be saved, she didn't need some stupid boy to rescue her. It was insulting to think that they thought that something like this fit Maya after all their years of watching her.

Fools. They were all nothing but fools… and Claudine was the biggest one of them all.

"Claudine, is something the matter?" Maya frowned at her. "You… seem tense. Are you thinking about your trip back to France?"

Claudine almost flinched. Right. That.

"Kind of, yeah." Claudine forced a smile onto her face. "I'm excited to return home, but I liked being here too."

"Ah." Maya nodded. "You are always free to come back and visit, of course."

Visit.

Claudine was certain they wouldn't allow that.

"But that isn't what's really bothering you, is it?" Maya looked at her, eyes seemingly piercing right through her. "Something else is bothering you."

"W-what?" Claudine quickly began to stab the salad she had ordered, eating to avoid answering. Maya raised an eyebrow at her but also returned to eating the meal she had ordered.

There was barely any conversation between them as they both picked at their dishes. Claudine knew it was suspicious of her to continuously glance around, but she couldn't help it.

Today. It had to be today. Claudine had even purposely left her earpiece at her home. Not that she'd been wearing it recently anyway, but if any of the staff had a problem with it, no one had talked to her about it.

That's why… there was no other chance she could take but today.

"Hey, what's a bunch of cute girls like you two doing out here by yourselves?"

There!

Three boys in school uniforms loomed over them, sneering down at the two of them. Their hair was slicked back, and they slouched exaggeratedly, trying to stick their teeth out. Was this really how delinquents acted? Claudine didn't know, and evidently the boys were trying their hardest to look as mean as possible.

"Claudine, do you hear something? I think the wind might be a bit strong today," Maya said suddenly. She continued to eat as if it was perfectly normal.

"H-huh? Oh, uh, no, I don't hear anything." Claudine decided to play along for now. If she acted otherwise, it would look far more suspicious.

But was… was this how Maya dealt with people harassing her?

Wait, of course Maya knew how to deal with harassment. The thought made Claudine ground her teeth in frustration.

The boys continued to leer at them but it looked like Maya wasn't even paying them any ounce of attention, Claudine finally saw genuine anger on one of the boys. Maya was clearly not acting the way he had been told she would. Claudine almost laughed.

Of course Maya never acted to anyone's whims.

That same boy though, he reached out, his hand about to clamp over Maya's arm—

"Don't you dare touch her!" Claudine hissed as she slapped his hand away. He yelled, stumbling backward as his hand lurched back, the hand already red where Claudine had struck. The other two boys looked at him before whirling to Claudine, their eyes wide and panicked. Even Maya was looking at her in surprise.

"What the hell, they didn't tell me this was part of it!"

The boy who Claudine had hit was suddenly back, enraged. He reached out for Maya again but Claudine reacted faster, leaping to her feet and pulling Maya out of her seat. Maya seemed reluctant to follow but allowed Claudine to pull her away, dragging her away from the restaurant and into the alleyways. From behind, the boys gave chase, their shoes pounding against the pavement.

Okay, that… could have been handled better, but as long as Claudine had the excuse to get Maya out of there, then it might as well have worked out. If the viewers didn't like it, then whatever, they would always complain; there was no pleasing everyone sometimes.

Claudine led Maya through the winding alleyways behind the restaurant. She had already practiced this plan more than enough times. She knew exactly where to go, and knew which excuses she could say if they questioned her.

When she rounded a certain corner, she quickly darted into the closest building, waving for Maya to follow her.

Cameras were everywhere… except around here. Even though there were so many top of the line facilities and instructors here and there were cameras always trying to report everything about Tendou Maya, it was still costly for them to have cameras everywhere, and to have them running at the same time. What reason would there be for Maya to come running here in the first place, anyway?

It had been Junna that had taken the time to learn which cameras were active, which places had them or not in this giant town, and she had passed that valuable information to Claudine before she left. Claudine thought she would never have to use this knowledge… until now.

"Are we hiding in here?" Maya looked all around, her nose wrinkling at all the dust. Claudine glanced over at her. Maya didn't even look worried about what had just happened. When Maya looked over at Claudine though, she smiled. "As long as you're with me, Claudine, I don't have much to fear."

Claudine felt something catch in her throat. The way Maya could be so awkward at times… but also so earnest without meaning to… it was painful. It made the guilt inside Claudine spike. She couldn't take this anymore.

"Tendou Maya," Claudine began, hoping her voice sounded normal, "we have only a few minutes before they get suspicious, but I have something to tell you." Claudine felt herself trembling, realizing what she was doing. Everything was already on the line for her, and now she was going to risk it all—

"Claudine?" Maya looked over at her, and Claudine could see both the confusion… and the trust in those eyes. The trust that she had cultivated for so many years… the trust that she was going to break right now.

Don't look at me like that!

"Maya… your whole life… I…" Claudine felt herself faltering. Was this right?

No… Maya deserved to know the truth. The director, the audience—Maya didn't deserve to go the rest of her life without knowing the truth.

It was here that Claudine turned to Maya and spoke everything. Everything spilled out, and Claudine knew she didn't make sense at times, but she tried her best to get out what was happening to Maya—what was still happening… with seemingly no end in sight.

Maya had stood there, listening to everything without asking any questions. It looked like she would, but her mouth stayed shut, quietly processing everything that Claudine had just spoken.

"I… see," was all Maya said after what felt like an eternity of silence. She said nothing else, offered no other words. She turned away, unable to look at Claudine.

It was obviously too much for Maya to take in, having all of this dropped on her. Claudine knew if something like this had been told to her, she would have been beside herself and screamed at the absurdity of it all.

But this situation was real, and she needed Maya to believe her.

"Saijou Claudine, let me ask you one thing, then." Maya didn't turn around immediately but Claudine watched as she squared her shoulders before turning around. To Claudine, it felt like she was bracing herself before getting into a role. "You have told me all of this… so how do I know what you are saying is real?"

Claudine froze. She gaped, mouth moving but words unforming. Maya stared at her, eyes seeming trying to pierce right through her.

"Tendou—Ten—Maya, trust me, what I'm saying is the truth! They didn't want me to reveal it all for all these years and I—" Claudine had to stop talking, to collect herself before it felt like she was going to explode. "Do you know how much I'm risking just by revealing all this to you?!"

"And yet…" Maya cast her eyes away, "how do I know that this is not scripted, either?"

Claudine recoiled like she'd been slapped. It felt like that sometimes, when she talked with Maya, but she never felt it clearer than right now. How was she supposed to prove to Maya that everything was a lie? A script? Maya had to trust Claudine's word that the entire world Maya knew was one giant falsehood. That her parents that had raised her, the tutors that had trained her, the school she went to, the plays she had performed—that everything was a fabrication, all just to provide entertainment to the world at large.

The world that Maya had been denied.

"Because I—because I!" The words were bubbling at the back of Claudine's throat, desperately trying to escape. What could Claudine say? She knew everything sounded absurd. But if she went out and told everyone that Maya knew… Claudine didn't know what they would do to Maya, how they would retaliate. She couldn't take that risk. Maya had to understand her situation, and how dangerous it was now.

"Maya, I—" she choked again but forced herself to speak past the lump in her throat. "I'm… I'm truly sorry for having you discover everything like this, but please believe me. I didn't want this for you, and I'm trying to see if… if…" she trailed off, unable to find her next words, almost a false promise of itself.

If I could take you away from here myself, I would do it in a heartbeat.

She wanted to say—there wasn't anyone else that could hear, no viewers around to see this, no one here… except Tendou Maya.

No one… but Maya.

"If… what, Saijou Claudine?" Maya's cold voice swept over her. "You have told me this truth… and now what am I to do with this knowledge? Do you think they will be able to let me escape so easily if I tell them I know? What… what can I do?"

Maya closed her eyes, breathing deeply before opening them and looking at Claudine. "And what do you think you can do?"

"And now, you say you being sent to France is how you're being written out of the script. And so… before you leave, you wish to absolve yourself of this guilt that you've felt by laying this truth upon me. And now, what am I to do?"

Claudine flinched as if slapped.

Maya shook her head. "I thought better of you, Saijou Claudine. Or perhaps… this is who you really were all along."

"... what?" Instead of the guilt that threatened to swallow Claudine now, it was anger. Was… what Maya really insinuating what she thought she meant? "What are you saying—"

Maya stared at her, eyes seemingly piercing right through Claudine, and it made her shut up. Even though she wasn't that much taller than Claudine, to Claudine in this moment, it felt like she was towering over her.

She had bared everything, laid out all the truth to Maya, and Maya still suspected her… but the indignation that she would have felt was drowned out by the shiver of dread that shot through her when she looked at Maya's eyes.

Maya's eyes… they held no emotion in them. Or, rather, Claudine could no longer see what was in those eyes. Her beautiful violet eyes bored straight into Claudine. There was no judgment yet, no anger, no despair—

Simply… contemplation.

Here, on this set, in this pretend world, it was… it was only Maya that was genuine, only Maya that was herself, only Maya that was… real.

If everything else was a lie… then Maya was the only one that was real.

The words flowed out of Claudine before she realized.

"I—not everything was a lie! Seeing your performances and your acting—I was jealous! Envious! I thought you were all talk, but when I saw you for myself, I knew you were the real deal! When we danced together, when we practiced together, when we performed together—"

"It was the most incredible feeling in the whole world! To have a partner that completely understands you"—Claudine choked back the sob threatening to break free—"it was incredible."

Her voice had risen with each word she spoke but now she finished with it barely above a whisper. This… this was what she truly felt. She wanted to say more, but no other words could come no matter how much she forced herself. Her heart was drumming in her ears, and she felt it all the way down to her toes.

And still, Maya had said nothing, her expression unchanging.

Until—

"... what am I to believe now, Saijou Claudine?" Maya finally asked, and never had Claudine ever heard Maya sound so tired, so defeated before. No, more than that, she sounded…

Helpless.

Claudine had never heard that tone from Maya in all her years of knowing her. Even if she was given a role in a play that didn't seem to fit her, Maya would still hold her head up proudly and perform to the best of her abilities. No matter how many wild expectations were thrust onto Maya from her parents, from their classmates, from Claudine, and unknowingly from the world… Maya had never buckled underneath any of them.

"No matter what, I shall deliver all my radiance onto you."

Maya closed her eyes. Even though it was only seconds, it felt instead like hours had passed before Maya opened her eyes again.

Claudine blinked. Maya seemed different now, like a girl on a mission. Her eyes roamed all over the building but they never landed back on Claudine. Even when Claudine thought they were, Maya's eyes seemed to stare past her, as if Claudine wasn't even there.

"... Did you suspect all along?" Claudine asked.

Maya didn't answer her. She was looking off to the side with her arms crossed, her expression stormy. It didn't seem like she had even heard Claudine. Her mouth was moving but Claudine didn't hear any words or sounds.

Claudine took a step toward her. "Maya, are you—"

"Do not come closer." Maya did not move anything except her eyes, now fixated on Claudine. Her tone was both ice and fire at the same time. Claudine could feel the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. Maya did nothing but only watched her, her whole body drawn tight like a coiled spring.

"Do not come near me," she repeated, and Claudine felt a part of her crack inside.

In those words, she had heard everything: anger, pain, confusion, hurt, torment, indignation—

Betrayal.

Claudine's mouth still hung open. She swallowed and slowly nodded. As soon as her mouth closed, Maya swung her eyes away.

"So here… there are no cameras?" Maya asked suddenly. Claudine nodded before realizing Maya was still looking away from her.

"Yes," she whispered. Maya grunted in response, not even looking at her.

"Maya"—narrowed violet eyes swung toward her as if daring her to even speak—"we need to… get out of here before they start suspecting what happened to us," Claudine finished, her voice subdued. Maya's eyes bored into hers before she curtly nodded.

"Very well," was all she said before she began to walk to the entrance. She brushed past Claudine without a second glance, her steps reverberating in the desolate room.

Claudine stared at where Maya had been standing before spinning around. She wanted to reach out, wanted to grab Maya, wanted to tell her she was sorry. She needed to tell her that she had every right to be upset, needed to show her that she could trust Claudine, needed her to know that Claudine had never meant—

"Maya, I—"

But Maya was already gone… and Claudine's hand fell back down.

Claudine knew Maya.

But Tendou Maya did not know Saijou Claudine.

The skies were clear and sunny, no cloud in sight.

It was a perfect day for taking a flight.

Claudine sat inside the airport, staring out the glass windows to look at the plane she would be boarding soon. She had hoped that maybe some kind of freak weather would happen—a chance thunderstorm maybe—but nothing did. It was as clear as the eye could see. Save for how cold it was considering it was winter now, it could have almost been a perfect day.

This was it. Soon, she would be flying away… flying away from the work she had been doing for several years… flying away from Maya.

Maybe this was what she needed. Getting away from everything, no longer having to think about how her actions were being broadcasted all the time—

No, could Claudine be so cruel to think that? How could Claudine think she could try to forget everything!? How could Claudine even think she had a right to forget that she had been a part of this awful set?

Claudine was able to leave and return back to her old life… but for Maya, this was her life.

Was it right for Claudine to reveal everything like that? Maya deserved to know—no, she needed to know the cruelty unknowingly forced onto her.

Yet, Maya would have remained none the wiser if Claudine had remained silent. None of the adults, or anyone else, seemed concerned with what they were doing. Even the director himself showed no intention of ending the show.

Would the show have continued if no one was watching? If no one came to watch, would the show still continue?

Would they have… continued to watch Maya for the rest of her life? Would they watch as Maya grew older and matured into her sharp features that made her seem more handsome than pretty but no less beautiful? Would they watch as she got older and there were lines and wrinkles on her face and lines and her hair turned gray and she could barely even walk—

Would they keep watching until she died?

Claudine felt the contents of her stomach turning again, her eyes stinging with the tears gathering in her eyes. No, no, no, everything about this was awful. Everything was so messed up. Maya didn't deserve that. No matter how infuriating she was or how smug and callous she could be at times, Maya didn't deserve any of that.

What choice did Claudine have?! What else could she have done?!

… but would it have been better to leave Maya in the dark?

"Saijou Claudine!"

Claudine's head snapped up. She recognized that voice, and her next thought was why is she here.

Maya had come.

Claudine leapt to her feet. She tried to push the tears away but they still clung to the corners of her eyes. No, she couldn't cry in front of Maya, she would never live it down if she did.

But it wasn't as if they were going to see each other again.

Maya's hair was frazzled and sticking out in all sorts of directions, her ribbon sideways, and she looked out of breath. There weren't any cars or… any other vehicles that Claudine could see.

Had Maya come running here?

If Claudine had watched this on a show, she would have laughed. The absurdity of the situation, of running to the airport to catch someone before they left, how they would conveniently get there—those were only things that happened in movies and dramas, right? But now, as Maya stood in front of her, panting heavily, all her clothes disarrayed, desperation and hope shining in her eyes, Claudine had never seen a more beautiful sight.

There were so many questions Claudine wanted to ask.

Did you seriously run all the way out here, you idiot?!

Why are you even here?!

Do you still think of me as your partner?

Maya stood in front of her, still breathing heavily like she had run a marathon. She looked at Claudine, her mouth moving up and down as if she was trying to speak but all she could do was breathe, gulping in large mouthfuls of air instead.

But Claudine was faster. Sometimes, words weren't needed. She reached out and pulled Maya to her.

The cameras were recording them—Maya—but Claudine knew there was only one chance left for her to do this. Claudine no longer had her earpiece. They were in the middle of the airport, and Claudine had already searched out every nook and cranny for where the cameras were.

Maya was wearing a long coat. It had to have been hot, running in that even with the cold outside. It was open, which meant Maya had ripped them open as she ran here.

That was exactly the opening Claudine needed, making sure to wrap her arms around Maya, now hidden underneath her long coat. Just as Junna had done for her, Claudine slipped a note inside Maya's pocket.

Maya gasped in her ear, frozen where she stood, her hands shaking as she struggled to figure out what it was she wanted to do. Even now, Maya couldn't be honest, Claudine thought with a laugh.

"What, you don't know how to hug people?" Claudine said, and that was all Maya needed, crushing Claudine to her body. She held her like she didn't want to let her go, held her like she was a lifeline.

"Claudine," she said once, and then stopped. It had never been Maya's nature to be so open… and now both of them knew that strangers were watching their every move, everything they were doing being recorded and broadcasted for mere entertainment.

Maya pulled away but kept her hands on Claudine's shoulders. They stared at each other, and Claudine felt something flutter in her heart. She wanted… she wanted…

But it was too late. Claudine would be gone in a matter of minutes.

"I'm sorry," Maya said suddenly. Her hands tightened on Claudine's shoulders. "I'm sorry," she repeated, and Claudine knew what she was apologizing for.

It wasn't Maya that should have been apologizing. It should have been Claudine instead, a thousand times over.

"Hah, you're acting like you're never going to see me again. I might just be back for summer vacation next year," Claudine said instead with a wink. It was hard to keep the tears back, even as she saw how desperate Maya was becoming. It was even harder to keep lying when they knew that the promise Claudine was making were never going to be kept.

"You'll see me again, I swear it," Maya said suddenly, fire burning in her eyes. Claudine almost let herself believe it, because once Maya put her mind to anything, she could do anything.

"Maya, I—"

Someone—Maya's father—clapped Maya on her shoulder and pulled her away before Claudine could finish. Maya tried to resist but she was still tired from running so hard, and they both knew that their time was up.

Claudine smiled and even added a small wave for effect. She watched as Maya was dragged further and further away from her, watched as Maya reached out with her hand, watched as Maya was pushed into a car, her mother holding her to keep her from bolting right back, and watched as the car drove away.

Claudine sat back down. She looked up over at where the camera was. It was pointed down at the floor, no longer active now.

Not even her own parting was worth recording as a special even though she had been here for years. Hah, truly forever in Maya's shadow.

It was only until Claudine was high up in the sky and she could no longer see the ground that she finally let her tears fall.

Claudine woke to the alarm she had set on her phone. Rolling over with a groan, she dismissed it and plopped her head back on the pillow, wanting to go right back to sleep.

Once, she used to roll out of bed at this time, adamant about going to school and going to get some early practice. Once, she had done this everyday, always training, never stopping.

Once… she had done this… and Maya would be there.

No, that wasn't right. Maya was still here.

All Claudine had to do was turn on the TV.

All she had to do… was turn on the TV, and just as it had always been, Maya would be on the TV. She could watch her again, like she had always done. Watch her… just like everyone else was still doing.

Claudine sat down in front of the TV, her finger hovering over the power button. Her hand shook. Her whole body shook. Junna had scolded her before about it.

"If it hurts too much to watch, then why do you keep doing it to yourself?!"

And still, Claudine forced herself to turn on the TV.

Right now, Maya was out in the city. There was someone at her side, talking animatedly about something. Claudine didn't care to pay attention to what they were saying. All she could see was the smile on Maya's face… and how she was looking at someone else that wasn't her.

The smile on Maya's face—

Claudine shut her eyes. She was smiling at someone else. That boy didn't know her the way Claudine did. He would never understand. He would never be her partner.

When Claudine turned on the TV months later, it was a girl now who sat close with Maya, who smiled at her the same way the boy did.

They were all the same.

None of them would ever understand her.

None of them could ever be her partner.

The girl had said something and Maya laughed, her eyes crinkling. Then, Maya was leaning in, her eyes fluttering shut even though her hand in her lap was clenched in a fist—

Claudine turned off the TV.

"You're an awful actor, Tendou Maya," she said to no one.

The Pride of Tendou Maya finished airing.

Every trace of it vanished. Every poster, flyer, advertisement—everything about it seemed to have vanished overnight. Even the director himself vanished, disappearing completely from the public eye.

Claudine still had one remnant of it, and it was still in her room: her old audition poster from years ago, the edges wrinkled and frayed with the excitement of a child. She remembered the day she had gotten this poster, how excited she'd been, how much she thought her life would change once she got to star in the same show as Tendou Maya.

How despicable she was, to participate in something so awful.

It was the thing she swore that she would throw away once she returned home, but once she stood over the trashcan with the flyer rolled up into a ball… she couldn't do it. The thing was just a stupid piece of paper and yet… it had given her Maya. It felt like she would be finally throwing away… throwing away—

So she kept it. Maybe she was being sentimental, but it had been a large part of her life. She couldn't… she couldn't just throw it away and move on.

Even if the world did. Life continued. The seasons changed. Everyone forgot about Tendou Maya.

Everyone, except...

Claudine's phone suddenly sprung to life, her ring tone blaring loudly. She swiped it off her table, rushing through her apartment now.

"H-hey, Junna! Sorry, I lost track of time, I'll be right there soon!"

Junna was already waiting at a table inside the cafe they agreed to meet at, paging through a book. Once she saw Claudine, she fitted her bookmark in and set the book aside, one of her stern frowns on her face.

"You're usually punctual, Claudine. Nothing happened, did it?" Junna asked. "Was it one of those kids you're coaching—"

"Oh, no, nothing of that sort. I, uh, just lost track of time," Claudine said even though she knew Junna didn't buy it for a second.

"I think it sounds like you need a vacation," Junna said. "You just haven't been the same ever since you got taken off that set. If you're still bitter about—"

"I'm not bitter!" Claudine slammed the table and froze, forgetting they were at a cafe and not inside one of their homes. "I'm not bitter," she repeated again, voice lowered to a hiss.

Junna nodded along, clearly unconvinced.

"It's…" Claudine bit her lip. "Why didn't I realize it? How messed up everything was?"

"And now she's gone!" she whispered brokenly.

"We can't find Tendou Maya anywhere on the cameras?! What happened?! Where did she go?!"

"What do you mean Tendou Maya has left the set! Where is she—what! She managed to sneak away on a boat?! Who left that there?! How?! What do you—"

They had questioned the director, and all he did was shake his head, a faint smile on his face.

"I understand," was all he said before he, too, disappeared.

Had he orchestrated things so that Maya could escape? Could he really have overlooked that? Nothing about it made sense… and now no one would ever get answers anymore.

But Claudine knew… it was her fault that Maya had attempted to escape… so it was her fault that Maya was gone. If Claudine had never told her, if Claudine had never given her that note, if Claudine had never—Maya wouldn't have—then at least Maya would still be ali—

"Claudine," Junna's voice was firm but concerned. "You don't know that. They haven't found her, but I hope they don't. Frankly, wherever she is, I hope she's enjoying herself."

Claudine nodded, not trusting herself to speak right now. If Claudine could see her one more time… just… for just… one more time…

"Claudine, hey!" Junna was shaking her arm to get her attention again. Claudine smiled apologetically. "Anyway, if you're not busy this weekend, I've got an extra ticket to a show," Junna said as she rummaged through her bag to pull out a ticket. "I know you're not acting anymore but I want you to come see it with me."

Claudine stared at her.

The serious expression fell from Junna's face for a moment. "I'm sorry, Claudine, I didn't mean to be so—"

"Sure, let's go." Claudine plucked the ticket from Junna's hand before she could take it back. "But you'll treat me out to some dinner afterward, right?"

It sounded like a nice distraction. And, well, it wasn't like Claudine had anything else to do anyway. Watching a play with Junna and going out for some drinks afterward sounded like a better time than being cooped up in her room and stewing over… everything else.

The weekend couldn't have come faster, and this time Claudine was the one who arrived early, waiting for Junna. The theater was small, almost like a hole in the wall, like those places that people only knew if they were invited by someone on the inside. Claudine liked the feeling; it'd been a long time since she'd come to see a play. She was glad that Junna had invited her. Even though she had joked about Junna buying her dinner, Claudine made sure she was going to treat Junna out instead, who had been nothing but a saint to deal with Claudine.

"So an all female performance of Phantom of the Opera, huh?" Claudine leaned back in her chair. "Sounds fun."

"I think you'll enjoy it. I've heard their Erik is exceptional," Junna said, and if Claudine were paying attention, she would have caught the secretive way Junna spoke.

It would be another several minutes of people coming in to fill the seats before the lights dimmed. Claudine folded her hands over her lap. She was going to enjoy this, no matter what.

The production, while a bit amateur-ish, was endearing. It reminded Claudine of the plays they had performed at school, made her remember all the students scrambling to finish up their props as the day of the play loomed ever closer. These memories were fond to Claudine, and she had to admit that she missed that part, just a little.

Then, Erik appeared.

Claudine nearly shot out of her seat but Junna's arm blocked her way before she could. And now, Junna was pushing her back down with her arm, trying to pull her back before Claudine lurched forward and hit the seat in front of her.

Junna knew. She had purposely set this up.

There was no mistaking that voice. How could she? She had once listened to that voice everyday, and it even haunted her in her dreams at night. How perfect, this role was.

This… this was…

Claudine could no longer pay attention to the play. It seemed to both slow down and zoom by. It felt like she was in a total daze, like she was watching it through someone else's eyes, unable to focus until she heard that voice again.

By the time the play ended, Claudine didn't even realize it. The entire theater was standing up to clap but Claudine found herself unable to move, not even to stand. Junna rested a hand on her shoulder, gentle. When the noise stopped, Junna finally spoke.

"I think you should follow me backstage."

Claudine could barely feel herself as she followed after Junna. The assistants and tech crew barely looked at her as they weaved through, heading toward the dresser rooms. It wasn't until they stopped that Claudine came out of her stupor, staring up at the door Junna had led her to.

In here… in here was…

Junna placed a hand on Claudine's back and patted her. "You've got another chance to grab your star," she said, and with a smile to Claudine, she moved away, leaving Claudine alone to gape in the hallway.

Behind this door was… behind this door was…

Claudine's hand was shaking so much that she was sure that if she touched the door knob right now, she would rattle it.

She… she could turn around and walk away right now. It would be so easy. Claudine had only wanted to know what had happened, and to know that she was still alive… then…

No, she couldn't turn around. Claudine wasn't a coward… but she didn't want to squander the chance Junna had given her. No matter what, Claudine would see the rest of this play to the end, no matter how it ended.

With bated breath, Claudine knocked on the door. Seconds that felt like hours passed by before she finally heard an answer.

"Come in," came the voice that Claudine had spent years dreaming she could hear again.

Claudine opened the door and went into the dressing room.

Maya was waiting inside, still dressed in her costume and with her back facing Claudine. In front of her though was a mirror, and Claudine could see eyes focused on her.

Claudine's voice caught in her throat. Neither of them said a word. Claudine could only see Maya's expression from the mirror. It reminded her of their first year together, when Maya had viewed everything through a wary but indifferent regard.

Claudine wanted to speak but no words came out of her. It was Maya's name at the tip of her tongue, and it was Maya's name that had jammed all the other words. She had dreamed of this moment, had wanted this moment, had needed this moment—and now that it was right in front of her, she could do nothing but stand there, frozen in both space and time.

It was Maya who finally acted, slowly turning around. Claudine had prided herself on being able to read the expressions on Maya's face; now she could read none.

"Saijou Claudine," Maya called out. It was the same voice Claudine had longed to hear, calling her name. It was everything, and…

Claudine closed her eyes, unable to take it anymore. She sank to her knees, struggling to keep the tears at bay. The pain inside of her felt unbearable now. She heard the fast thud of footsteps before they abruptly stopped. Maya didn't come closer.

"I'm sorry, Maya, I…" Claudine shook her head. No matter how much she wanted to run to Maya, the guilt ate away at her. For so many years, Claudine had lied to her, and she didn't do anything until it was too late. "I can't—I just—I—"

"Saijou Claudine." Maya was in front of her now, crouching down. Claudine could barely dare to look at Maya, could barely dare to look at what had to be a ghost from her past. That was—who else—

Two fingers slid underneath Claudine's chin and forced her head up. Maya's gaze mets hers, and Claudine almost broke down again. Maya's beautiful violet eyes, the ones that were still shining with so much intensity and passion, stared back at her. In their reflection, Claudine thought she must have looked pathetic.

Maya smiled at her and held out her hand. "If I may ask you for one dance, Saijou Claudine," she murmured.

That got Claudine's tears to stop, as she stared at Maya in confusion. Shakily, she raised her hand, resting it on top of Maya's. Waiting for a moment, Maya watching her carefully, Claudine was pulled to her feet, and Maya's other arm came to circle Claudine's waist. Without any other warning, they began to move.

Although she stumbled at first, Claudine quickly caught herself. Years of training and practice kicked in and now she was following after Maya. The dressing room was hardly big enough for them to move but somehow, they managed. Their feet moved—their bodies moved together. Claudine was more than glad that she at least kept up with her own training to exercise herself.

No—it wasn't only the practice and training that let Claudine keep up…

It was because—

Maya halted their dance. It felt like neither of them were breathing even though Claudine was sure they had danced for a long time. Claudine was sure that if Maya let go right now, Claudine would collapse onto the floor again. It felt like she could barely even hold herself up, her knees shaking.

Finally, Maya spoke. "They had told me that you stopped acting but even now, you can still keep up with me." Maya's voice was barely above a whisper. Claudine felt the urge to shiver; it almost felt like she was with a ghost, one that haunted her every waking moment.

Claudine didn't know what to say, but all that came out of her was, "Why?"

Why are you here?

Why did you never contact me?

Why would you even want to see me?

"Why?" Maya looked thoughtful her lips curled into a smile, that one that used to infuriate Claudine with how smug Maya looked with it on. "Because it was what I promised, is it not? That you would see me again."

If this were any other moment, any other person, any other time, Claudine would have been more than happy to accept that answer. Maya was right; it was exactly as she promised.

But years had passed… and Claudine had nothing but a well of guilt to draw from. She couldn't allow herself this moment, not after everything she had done. Maya didn't—

Maya deserved better.

"You still wanted to see me even after I lied to you?! Lied straight to your face even! I was in on it! I was a part of it! How could you still… how could you still—" Claudine broke off in a sob. She ducked her head so Maya couldn't see her face, couldn't see how awful and pathetic she really was.

She heard Maya take a deep breath. "I will be honest, Claudine. Yes, you were a part of the entire lie of my whole life… but it was also you that freed me from it. I would have remained trapped there, unaware and ignorant, to be nothing but played by the entire world. And I would have died there… none of the wiser. How could I not be thankful that you saved me from such a caged life?"

"So now, I come here to you, Saijou Claudine… of my own accord, under no one else's whims. Does that satisfy you?"

No, she wanted to say. Nothing would satisfy Claudine except for the anger she deserved from Maya. How could Maya continue to look at her that way? How could Maya still trust her after everything?

How could Maya… forgive her?

"Saijou Claudine, please look at me." Maya's voice was soft. She wasn't demanding as she would have done; she was pleading. Claudine slowly lifted her head, her eyes still teary. She must have looked dreadful, her make-up running and smearing all over her face.

And Maya still looked at her with the same intensity as she always did. Claudine saw her eyes moving around, as if searching for something. Her eyes moved down, and Claudine realized she was looking Claudine up and down. It felt like she was trying to remember Claudine again, remember that same girl from years ago… the one who had betrayed her.

Then, finally, Maya returned her gaze up, to look back at Claudine. She watched for another moment longer before one corner of her lips tugged upward. "Even when you cry, you are still cute."

"Gah!" Claudine hurriedly turned her face away. "Don't make fun of me!"

Maya laughed, a joyous chime that felt like music to Claudine's ears. She had missed that sound so much, missed the sound of Maya, missed…

She had missed Maya so much.

Maya's expression changed, and now she was somber, solemn now as she began to speak. "If you wish for repentance then I must ask you to help fulfill a desire of mine. I have held this wish for many years, and I think you're the perfect candidate to grant it. If you wish to lend me your aid, of course."

Ugh, even her roundabout way of speaking hadn't changed. It made Claudine almost smile but she realized what Maya was asking from her. Claudine looked back, just as solemn, hoping she didn't seem desperate as she nodded quickly.

"After everything… how can I refuse? What is it then? What can I help you with?"

"I want…" Maya closed her eyes, seemingly deep in thought. Her brow furrowed as she tilted her head away. When her eyes opened, they were still so vibrant, so passionate, so warm… and she was looking straight at her. 

For the first time, Maya spoke aloud her words that were meant for only one person to hear.

"Just you, Claudine."