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Applause still rang in Kaelix’s ears as he finished his performance, the roar of the crowd echoing with shouts that it had been his best performance yet. He smiled, bowed, and thanked the audience. But backstage, his manager was waiting, arms crossed, eyes narrowed.
Kaelix already knew the reason behind it.
Just before the performance, he had a short interview with the host where she asked about the inspiration for his new song. Kaelix hesitated at first. He had written it with his ex-lover in mind, and his agency had always warned him against discussing his love life in public, especially given the kind of fans he attracted.
But in that moment, he didn’t care.
He wanted the world to know. He wanted Freo to know: this song was for him.
Hence, the annoyed look on his manager’s face.
“How many times have I told you not to talk about your freaking love life in public? I thought we were already clear on that! You used to be so good at hiding it, why now?!”
“Can we not do this right now?” Kaelix muttered. “I’m tired.”
He brushed past him into the waiting room. The door clicked shut behind him.
Silence hit.
Ache followed.
Kaelix peeled off his mic like he was tearing off skin. The hum of the air conditioner filled the room, soft and mechanical. Everything else was still. He sat down, costume still on, too tired to move, too wired to rest.
He checked his phone, stupidly hoping to see Freo’s name.
Nothing.
Instead, there was a message from his manager: “I’ll see you at the office tomorrow.”
Kaelix ignored it and just stared at his lock screen.
It was still that old photo of Freo, taken on the day they graduated high school. Freo was holding a bouquet of white lilies that Kaelix bought for him. He’d always thought lilies suited the green-haired guy, and he wasn’t wrong. They brought his quiet beauty. The subtle curve of his lips gave him an unearthly glow—too ethereal to belong to this world.
Kaelix traced the screen with his fingers, as if it were Freo’s skin beneath them.
It had been years since the breakup, but he still hadn’t moved on. He thought he would, eventually. Time was supposed to make things easier. But it hadn’t.
The entertainment industry looked bright on the outside, but inside, it was cold. Harsh. Lonely. He couldn’t trust anyone in the game—everyone wanted something from him.
Freo had been the only one who loved him for who he really was, not for the fame. Not for the stage persona. Just him.
But that life—the life with Freo in it—was gone.
He couldn’t go back.
And Freo… wasn’t someone he could reach anymore, especially when he needed him the most.
“Help me, Freo,” Kaelix whispered.
***
It had been a long day.
Kaelix had spent the morning at the agency office, getting thoroughly scolded by the CEO for what he’d said during last night’s music show.
He could still hear the old man’s voice echoing in his head—sharp, impatient. Be more careful with your words. Your live concert is only weeks away. Everything you say in public affects ticket sales. Don’t do anything stupid.
Honestly? Kaelix didn’t care anymore.
What was the point of achieving your dreams if the person you loved the most wasn’t there to share it with you?
With a baseball cap pulled low and a mask covering half his face, Kaelix slipped out to a nearby park—a quiet spot he often visited when the weight of everything got too heavy. It was one of the few places left where he could just be himself, unnoticed.
He used to be the embodiment of a sunflower: bright, cheerful, always lifting the mood of those around him.
Now, he didn’t even remember what it felt like to smile from the heart. Every grin he gave the cameras was an act—just another part of the image he had to maintain. A mask worn too long.
He sat on a weathered bench, staring blankly at his surrounding. A few children played tag nearby, their laughter ringing through the crisp air. A group of elderly men moved slowly through their morning stretches. Kaelix let out a quiet breath of relief. No teenagers. No young adults. That meant no one was likely to recognize him today.
Then, his gaze landed on an old red mailbox beside a vending machine.
And just like that, the past came rushing in. To the moment where he first decided to mail his audition to the agency.
***
“A-Are you sure this is the right choice? I’m scared!” Kaelix asked frantically, clutching his audition form like it might burn his fingers.
He had always dreamed of becoming a professional singer, but he’d never had the courage to actually. Not until Freo encouraged him.
Freo sighed softly, a familiar, subtle smile on his lips. “You’ll be fine,” he said. “I know your worth. You’ll definitely make it big one day. If you were in a boy group, you’d be the main vocalist. That’s how good you are.”
Kaelix gulped. He knew Freo never said things he didn’t mean. If Freo believed in his talent, then it had to be real. Still, the decision felt terrifying. Life-changing. And he was scared—scared of failing, of proving everyone wrong in the worst way.
“C-Can you… hold my hand?” Kaelix asked his boyfriend, voice cracking slightly. “I don’t think I can put this in the mailbox myself. It’s too scary! My hand is literally trembling right now!”
Freo chuckled gently. “Alright, big boy. Give me your hand. We’ll do it together.”
He held it out, and Kaelix took it without hesitation. Their fingers laced together—warm, steady, safe—and together, they slid the audition form into the mailbox.
“I-It’s done…” Kaelix whispered, then turned to Freo with a glowing smile. “If I actually make it big, I’m going to write a song just for you. I promise!”
Freo’s expression softened. “Sure,” he said. “I’ll be waiting.”
Kaelix kept his promise.
He wrote the song for Freo, just like he said he would. He poured every last bit of his love and grief into that song for Freo. And the world sang it back to him—without ever knowing who it was truly for.
***
Kaelix had an important photoshoot today—one that would be used for the promotional posters for his upcoming live concert.
Between takes, a female assistant handed him a bottle of water, her cheeks flushing red as she did. Kaelix, well-versed in the rhythms of the entertainment industry, could tell right away that she had a crush on him.
Then the photographer approached, accompanied by a young woman walking quietly behind him. Kaelix couldn’t see her face clearly, but assumed she was the model his manager had mentioned before—the one chosen to be his shoot partner.
“She’ll be your partner today,” the photographer said. “Her name is Freya.”
At the mention of her name, the girl stepped forward with elegant, measured grace. She smiled as she introduced herself. “My name is Freya. I look forward to working with you today.”
Kaelix froze.
She looked so much like Freo. If Freo had been a girl—if he had grown his hair and softened his features just a little—this was what he would have looked like.
The resemblance was eerie. So exact, it made Kaelix’s breath hitch.
“Mr. Debonair?” Freya’s voice came soft, concerned. “Are you okay? You’re sweating… quite a lot.
She reached toward his forehead to check, but Kaelix instinctively flinched back and slapped her hand away in a panic.
“I-I’m fine! Haha!” He forced a laugh, too loud, too shaky. “Must be the lights… yeah, just too hot in here! Would you mind if I wait in the dressing room for a bit? I’ll come back when it’s time to shoot!”
Without waiting for a reply, Kaelix turned and rushed off the set.
He shut the dressing room door behind him, the click echoing too loudly in the small space. Then he slid down to the floor, legs giving out beneath him.
Usually, he was good at keeping it together during work.
But not today.
Not after seeing a girl wearing Freo’s face.
He pulled out his phone with trembling hands and stared at the lockscreen he hadn’t changed in years. Freo, smiling softly, holding the bouquet of white lilies.
The tears came fast.
“I miss you so much, Freo,” he choked out between sobs. “I need you here… I’m so lonely… I want to see you…”
The screen blurred under falling tears, but he didn’t wipe them away. He just stayed there, broken in a room that wasn’t made for grieving, holding onto of a past that wouldn’t let him go.
****
“We should break up.”
Those were the words Freo said when he called kaelix to the park near their old school.
At first, Kaelix couldn’t process it. He stood there, stunned, the words refusing to settle in his mind. They never had a major fight. Their relationship had always been steady—built on respect, trust, and an easy rhythm between them.
“B-But why…” Kaelix asked, voice trembling. “I don’t understand. Did I do something wrong? Just tell me—please, tell me the reason.”
Freo looked down, eyes glistening. Then, without a word, he pulled out his phone and showed Kaelix the screen.
It was an article about Kaelix’s latest release. Below, the comment section was filled with gushing praise, but one comment stood out from the rest.
He looks so good in the music video. I hope he stays single forever.
It had thousands of likes. Replies poured in beneath it.
You’re so right, girl. If he ever has a significant other, his career is over.
Same. I can’t listen to his songs if I know they’re for someone else, not us.
“I… don’t want to ruin your career just because we’re dating.” Freo said quietly.
Kaelix stared at him, stunned. He knew a large part of his fanbase thrived on fantasy—on imagining they had a chance with him. But he was confident they could keep things private. If photos ever leaked, he could play it off as friendship. He’d seen others do it.
“We can work it out,” he insisted, tears welling up. “They don’t need to know we’re together. We can hide it. I’ll ask my seniors for advice. They’ve been through this, I know they have. Please, Freo…”
He was begging now—his voice cracking, his heart unraveling. They had been together for years. He couldn’t imagine a life without Freo in it. The word “breakup” didn’t exist in his world.
“They’ll find out,” Freo said. “Sooner or later. And I don’t want to be the reason your dream falls apart.”
Kaelix’s composure shattered. “To hell with my dream!” he sobbed. “What’s the point of making it big if you’re not there beside me? I’d give it all up, Freo. Every single thing. I’d rather be with you than live without you!”
Freo flinched, just barely. His expression remained calm, but his eyes burned.
“Please don’t say that,” he said quietly. “ I already gave up on my own dream, Kaelix. You don’t know how it feels—to watch something you wanted so badly slip out of reach, so far you can’t even chase it anymore.”
He paused. “If you throw yours away too… It’s like you’re making a joke out of what I gave up. You and I both know how much this meant to you.”
“B-But…” Kaelix tried to speak, but Freo didn’t let him.
“I’m sorry. Thank you… for everything,” he said. “I hope you keep singing. I hope you keep smiling. You’ll be okay, Kaelix. You’re strong enough. Time will heal everything… eventually.”
He paused for a moment, just long enough for Kaelix to hope he might turn back.
“Goodbye.”
And just like that, he walked away.
Kaelix didn’t follow. He couldn’t. His knees buckled, and he stood there in that park alone—grieving a future that would never come.
***
“It’s time, Kaelix.”
His manager’s voice snapped him out of his daydream.
For some reason, his mind kept drifting back to that day—to the moment Freo walked away.
Time will heal everything, Freo said. But it never did.
Kaelix was never strong enough. He was never fine. If anything, life had become harder without Freo—without the comfort of his presence, his quiet support during the hardest days.
He sometimes wondered what face Freo wore when he said goodbye. Was he really as calm as he seemed? Or had he been holding back his tears? Kaelix never knew.
“Kaelix,” his manager repeated, a bit more firmly this time.
Today was the day of his live concert. No matter how broken he felt inside, the show had to go on. He had an audience to sing for—people who believed in the version of him that smiled for the stage.
Kaelix looked at himself in the mirror, checking to make sure the cracks didn’t show. His makeup was perfect. His smile? Convincing enough.
He stood, walked backstage, and took his position in the wings. Then the lights dropped.
Cheers erupted as he stepped into the spotlight.
Alone on the center stage, he raised the mic to his lips and scanned the crowd—a sea of faces, glowing lightsticks, shouting fans.
And then… he saw him.
A green-haired man, standing out like a ghost from memory.
Kaelix’s breath hitched. His heart nearly stopped.
Freo?
The man stared back, just as stunned. Their eyes locked.
It was him. He knew it in an instant. Freo had come.
Kaelix nearly lost control. His body screamed to run—to leap from the stage and throw his arms around the man he’s never stopped loving.
But then… Freo turned.
Just as quickly as he had appeared, he stood up and walked. The concert had barely begun. The woman beside him looked confused, calling after him as he slipped into the crowd and disappeared.
He left again.
The person Kaelix had waited for all these years—the person he sang to in every love song, every heartbreak verse—walked away from him once more.
And Kaelix had to keep singing.