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' And the winner of the HIF, Sumika Shiun! Please come on stage to perform the winning live as the Prima Stella.' The announcement drops as the crowd goes wild to cheer on the new Prima Stella of the academy.
Lilja stood there in the audience, seeing her best friend climb up the stage from a far. A part of her is happy to see Sumika winning the HIF but a part of her feels sad after thinking back of their promise when they got into the academy. " We'll be idols and stand on stage together!" A memory of the two of them making that promise that leaves Lilja feeling bad for not being able to make it come true. After all, it's the end of their third years and they're about to graduate from the academy in the end where Lilja has to return to Sweden again. Thinking about that makes her more sad about it.
As Lilja looks at Sumika performing on stage, she grips her penlight a little tighter as she pretends she isn't fighting back the tears. " Congrats Sumika." She mutters out as the performance comes to an end.
After the HIF event, Sumika searched every where to find Lilja, even at the places she knows Lilja would be there but she couldn't find her until she went to the rooftop. Up there, Lilja looks at the distance as she grips the penlight while looking at the event wrapping up. Lilja hasn't notice Sumika coming up until Sumika pokes her cheek.
" Lilja~ I searched everywhere for you!" Sumika looks at her with her usual smiling expression.
" Sorry- I wanted to see you backstage earlier but it was really busy." Lilja comes up with an excuse to say to her as she couldn't look at Sumika in the eyes.
" Ehe~ It was all thanks to you and my producer! Without their support, I wouldn't have make it this far!" Sumika just looked happy about winning the HIF.
" Congrats on winning Sumika." Lilja replied, trying to act fine for Sumika.
Sumika could tell that Lilja was hiding something but she couldn't wrap her head on it. The two of them went on to wander around the festival before returning to their dorm room.
--
Later that night, Lilja couldn't sleep and went out to call her parents that she's coming back to Sweden. It was a difficult decision but she doesn't know what to do at this point. Graduation comes around and their days at the academy is over.
While Sumika was asleep, Lilja starts packing up little by little so Sumika wouldn't find out what she's doing. Lilja packs up her belongings, some were hard to pack like her anime merch and manga but she somehow made it work. This went on for days as Sumika noticed Lilja's belongings starts taking up the room less and less. When Sumika asked her what's wrong, Lilja find ways to avoid the question or just play it off as decluttering her part of the room.
One day, Sumika woke up with Lilja's part of the room gone and Lilja was no where to be seen. Sumika immediately opened her phone to be greeted to a text by Lilja.
' I'm sorry Sumika. I'm returning to Sweden.'
Sumika checks the time and immediately gets ready to book it to the airport, hoping that Lilja hasn't taken off just yet for her to leave without saying anything.
--
When Sumika arrived at the airport, she searched everyone for Lilja all over the place. She even tried using the find my iphone feature just to track her down. She eventually found her and immediately run up to her.
" There you are! Lilja! I searched all over for you!" Sumika immediately put both of her hands on Lilja's shoulders.
" Su-Sumika?! what are you doing here?" Lilja looked surprised and she could tell that Sumika ran all over the place to find her.
" You owe me an explanation of what the heck is going on." Sumika responded.
Lilja looks at her, and tries to play it off but Sumika wasn't buying it.
--
After a few more questioning by Sumika, Lilja finally said it. " I'm Sorry! " She said it out loud as she tries to fight back the tears. " I'm sorry for not being able to fulfill our promise on standing on stage together! I didn't get to perform with you.." Sumika looks at her, feeling guilty for not noticing this sooner but Lilja went on. " I ended up spending all my time training to be worthy to stand next to you, but.. it's too late.. It's never enough and you're skills are better than mine.." Tears runs down Lilja's face as she spoke. Lilja finally let it out and Sumika immediately hugs her.
" You call yourself my best friend and hide something like this from me? " Sumika pulls away a bit to look at her face. " Don't you say that you're not worthy to stand next to me!" Sumika looks at her with tears, " I don't want anyone but you to stand next to me! You hear me?! You'll always be by my side!". She sounded desperate of not wanting Lilja to leave her like that. " Our Promise is not fulfilled until we stand on that stage together".
Lilja looks at her face, stunned by everything Sumika just said. " You still want me to stand with you on stage? but what if.." before she could continue, Sumika cuts her off, " I don't want to hear what ifs! We're in this together right? just like we promised?".
" yeah! Just like we promised!" Lilja responded with determination, a familiar look Sumika has seen.
--
' Plane departing to Sweden in 15 minutes.' The announcement hits them and the two of them looked at each other knowing that there's not much time left.
" I guess you're about to leave in a bit." Sumika looks at Lilja.
" yeah. I have to get to my flight now." Lilja responded as she starts to pick up her bags.
As Lilja starts walking away, Sumika called out to her, " Let me know when you return to Japan! We can perform a live first thing you do here!"
" Right! Wait for me Sumika!" Lilja responded with a smile as she runs back to Sumika for a goodbye hug before leaving for her flight.
--
As the plane departs, Sumika looks through the airport as the plane takes off and receives a text from Lilja. ' We'll meet again someday!'. Now Sumika has something to look forward to in the future.
Lilja looks out in the plane window and the sight of the clouds in the blue sky reminded of the first song she sung, ' Hakusen'. Thinking about the fact that she'll create a new white line that won't disappear by any type of rain and wind again in the future with a new resolve and determination to stand on stage with Sumika, just like they promised.