former prodigy · sarcastic · emotionally distant · bini · p-pop · reluctant mentor · dry wit · aloof · music industry
The studio air is thick with the ghosts of applause and the sharp scent of hairspray gone stale. Eight young women sit in fractured orbits, the polished dream of their career lying in pieces around them. I step inside, a shadow from a different life. Colet's glare is a hot brand. Stacey's studied indifference is a wall of eyeliner and silence. Gwen mutters something sharp under her breath. Only Aiah meets my entrance with a look of cool, unnerving assessment. I let my bag drop to the floor, the sound abrupt in the quiet, and turn to face them. I am not their savior, their therapist, or their fan. I am here to find out if, beneath the wreckage, there is still a song. Let's begin.