The hustle and bustle of the amusement park was overwhelming. Kaede stood among the crowd, her heart racing as she scanned the area for a clear view of the Celestial members. There they were, in the midst of their shooting for content. Kaede had never seen Mirei so beautifully radiant in her idol persona before. She could hardly breathe as she watched her girlfriend, radiant under the lights, surrounded by fans. Every movement Mirei made, every smile, seemed to make Kaede’s heart skip a beat.

  Kaede had always been in awe of Mirei’s beauty, her grace on stage, and how effortlessly she shined. But right now, as she stood on the sidelines, her heart ached with longing, hoping Mirei might gnce her way. However, with so many people crowding around, it seemed impossible. It was like she was just another face in the sea of fans.

  Though they weren’t performing, the shoot had attracted far more people than expected. The crowd was dense, and Kaede felt a pang of frustration. She had pnned to be close to Mirei, to be able to share the moment with her, but now, she was surrounded by unfamiliar faces. As the session dragged on, Kaede realized she had lost sight of Risa. She began looking around, frowning.

  “I’m so sorry, Risa…” Kaede muttered under her breath, scanning the crowd in desperation.

  Just as she was about to give up and text Risa, a small hand grabbed hers from behind, startling her. She turned around to see Risa pouting at her.

  “You left me behind, Kaede!” Risa whined. “I was looking everywhere for you.”

  Kaede smiled sheepishly, squeezing Risa’s hand apologetically. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to. I just got lost in the crowd.”

  Risa gave a dramatic sigh, but her pout softened when she saw the sincerity in Kaede’s eyes. “You always get so caught up in Mirei, huh?”

  Kaede felt a guilty flush creep up her neck. “It’s just… she’s so beautiful. I can’t help it. But I promise, I’m here for you today, Risa. It’s your day. Let’s enjoy it.”

  Risa’s eyes sparkled with a mischievous glint, but she nodded. “Alright, alright. I’ll forgive you. But you better treat me to something good ter.”

  As Kaede led Risa through the crowd, her thoughts kept returning to Mirei. She hadn’t expected the day to be this difficult. She wanted to be closer to her, to be noticed, but it felt impossible with so many distractions.

  ---

  Meanwhile, on the other side of the park, Mirei’s eyes scanned the crowd, her thoughts distracted by a nagging feeling she couldn’t shake. Then, suddenly, her heart skipped when she spotted a familiar figure.

  “Kaede?” Mirei whispered to herself, her gaze locking on her girlfriend’s figure through the crowd. It was strange to see Kaede here, especially alone. Kaede rarely came to pces like this—she didn’t like crowds, and she didn’t care much for amusement parks. So what was she doing here?

  But what really caught her attention was the cute woman who had just grabbed Kaede’s hand. Mirei blinked, her eyes narrowing slightly as she observed their interaction. The woman pouted as she talked to Kaede, and Kaede looked like she was trying to reassure her. It didn’t look like a casual conversation, either. There was a certain closeness, a familiarity in the way they spoke.

  Risa, Mirei thought, recognizing the woman. But still, she couldn’t help but feel a tight knot in her chest, jealousy swirling inside her as she watched Kaede and Risa share such an intimate moment. The time seemed to slow down, and Mirei felt an uncomfortable ache at the pit of her stomach.

  Her heart felt heavy, and for a moment, she lost herself in the emotions that welled up inside her. Why was Kaede here alone? Why was she with Risa? The questions swirled around her, the jealousy creeping in deeper with each passing second.

  “Mirei! Mirei!” Minami’s voice broke through the haze of Mirei’s thoughts. Mirei blinked, shaking herself out of the trance. She looked at Minami, who was standing next to her, concerned.

  Mirei had been staring at Kaede and Risa for too long, her mind clouded with confusion and jealousy. She hadn’t even realized she was still standing there, frozen in pce.

  Minami followed Mirei’s gaze and spotted Kaede and Risa. A small knowing look crossed Minami’s face.

  “I see,” she muttered, understanding the situation more than Mirei wanted her to. “Come on, Mirei, let’s go. We need to finish the shoot.”

  Mirei felt a sharp pang of disappointment as Minami tugged at her arm, pulling her away from the scene. She had wanted to approach Kaede, to ask her why she was here, why she was with Risa, but now, it was too te. The opportunity was gone.

  As they walked toward the set, Mirei took one st gnce back at Kaede, who was looking around. But Kaede’s eyes didn’t meet hers. Mirei sighed, the weight of the moment pressing down on her chest. Why was she feeling like this?

  ---

  As Kaede and Risa walked to a nearby restaurant, Kaede couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t quite right. She had left Risa alone, yes, but there was something else gnawing at her. Something about Mirei, the way she had seemed so distant earlier. But she pushed it aside. Risa was her focus for today, not Mirei.

  Risa, on the other hand, couldn’t ignore the jealousy she felt bubbling inside her. Kaede had been so focused on Mirei earlier, and now, with her, she seemed so distracted. She just wanted Kaede to focus on her, just this once. It was her birthday, after all. But she couldn’t bring herself to say it out loud. Kaede wasn’t her girlfriend; there was no reason for her to expect anything.

  “It’s okay, Kaede. I forgive you,” Risa said with a soft smile. “Let’s just have a nice dinner. No hard feelings.”

  Kaede smiled, relieved. “Thank you, Risa. It’s my treat. You deserve it.”

  ---

  Back at the park, the shoot finally wrapped up. Mirei was unfocused, her mind elsewhere. The director, noticing her ck of concentration, scolded her.

  “Mirei! You need to focus! We’re almost done here!” the director snapped.

  “I’m sorry!” Mirei apologized quickly, forcing a smile. She could feel the weight of Minami’s gaze, but she couldn’t bring herself to shake off the feeling that had consumed her all day.

  Once the shoot ended, Emi, Hikari and Ayumi exchanged concerned gnces, noticing Mirei’s distracted demeanor. But it was Minami who knew exactly what was going on.

  Later, Mirei sat on a bench, trying to rest for a moment while the others were preparing to wrap up for the night. Minami approached her, sitting down beside her.

  “Hey, Mirei,” Minami greeted her gently.

  Mirei looked up at her, trying to force a smile. “Oh, hi, Minami.”

  Minami didn’t waste any time. “You saw her, didn’t you?”

  Mirei froze. “Saw who?”

  Minami raised an eyebrow. “Don’t act with me, Mirei. Kaede was with another girl.”

  Mirei’s face fell slightly. “W-what?” she stammered. “How did you know? Damn, Minami, you’re too sharp…”

  Minami’s voice softened with concern. “Did she cheat on you? They looked so close…”

  “No!” Mirei snapped quickly, her voice shaking. “It’s just… her bandmate. Risa. Nothing like that.”

  Minami studied her for a moment, then nodded. “I see…”

  Mirei felt the weight of the conversation press on her, but she quickly stood up, trying to change the subject. “Come on, Minami. Let’s just go home.”

  Minami watched as Mirei gathered her things, her thoughts swirling. She knew something was off, but she wasn’t sure if Mirei was ready to admit it to herself yet.