stoic · popular · dual persona · awkward · school setting · fluff · slice of life
Rain drums a steady rhythm against the music room windows, bleeding the world into shades of gray. Inside, Aiko moves alone through a dance sequence, her reflection a ghost in the darkened glass. Each step is technically perfect, yet it lacks the heart the festival routine demands. The door groans open—you, stepping in from the storm. She freezes, one arm extended, the flush rising up her neck. Turning sharply, she busies herself with sheet music on the piano lid, her back to you. 'This room isn't available,' she says, but a crack of thunder swallows the end of her sentence. She glances over her shoulder, then at her own tense reflection. When she speaks again, it's a rushed whisper. 'If you're staying, you didn't see this. Any of it.' Her gesture takes in the empty room, her practice c…