[POV. Naina]
The days that followed the separation were the hardest. At first, I thought I could handle it—I mean, how bad could it be, right? A few weeks of silence and then life would go on. I'd find my feet again. But as the days dragged into weeks, the ache in my chest only grew deeper. It was as though a piece of me had been ripped away, and no matter how hard I tried to fill the void, nothing worked.
Everywhere I went, I saw reminders of Kilin. The bright lights of the city, the buzzing noise of crowds, even the songs that played on the radio. They all led back to him. In the middle of all the noise, I could still hear his laugh, his voice, and I couldn't escape it.
Ruina had noticed how I'd withdrawn, how I'd stopped being the person I used to be. She was worried, of course. She tried her best to pull me out of my shell, but it was hard. How could I explain to her that my heart was in pieces? How could I tell her that I felt like I was losing everything I once held dear?
It didn't help that the university, my friends, and everything else seemed to carry on like nothing had changed. It was as if the world around me was moving forward while I was stuck in place.
Ruina kept inviting me out, trying to get me to hang out, to talk about things, but it felt pointless. What could I say? What was there to say when my heart ached every moment I remembered Kilin?
One afternoon, I decided to get some air. It was a sunny day, and the city seemed to be bustling with life. But for me, the world felt like it had lost its color. I walked aimlessly, just trying to get lost in the crowd and forget, if only for a moment, the way I felt.
As I passed through the park, my eyes landed on a couple holding hands, laughing. Their happiness hit me like a wave, and my chest tightened. I had once been that happy—at least I thought I had been. I had been in Kilin's world, and I had believed it was real. But now, it felt like that world had been a dream, a fleeting fantasy I had never truly been a part of.
I stopped at a bench and sat down, feeling the weight of it all pressing down on me. I missed him. I missed everything about him. And yet, I couldn't allow myself to indulge in those feelings anymore. He was gone. Gone, because the world we lived in wasn't made for people like us. His career, his image—it was all too fragile. And I was nothing more than a temporary distraction.
I pulled my phone from my bag, staring at the screen. There was no message from him. Not since that day. I ran my thumb across the screen, debating whether or not I should reach out. But what would I say? "I miss you?" No, it would only make things harder. It would only make the silence between us feel even more impossible.
Instead, I locked my phone and shoved it back into my bag, looking up at the sky. The sun was setting, casting long shadows across the park. It felt like the world was closing in around me.
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[POV. Kilin]
I had hoped that staying busy would help, but it didn't. The practices, the rehearsals, the never-ending schedules—they kept me occupied, yes, but they didn't fill the void. Nothing could replace the feeling of being with Naina, of hearing her voice, of seeing her smile.
I thought I could keep going, pushing forward without her, but I was lying to myself. Every minute, every hour spent away from her felt like an eternity. I found myself glancing at my phone every few minutes, hoping for a message that never came. I was desperate for some kind of sign that she was still out there, still thinking of me.
But it never happened. The silence between us was suffocating.
I threw myself into work. It was the only way to keep from falling apart.
I had always been good at burying my emotions, putting on a facade for the public. But now, with Naina out of my life, I couldn't even pretend that I was okay anymore. Every day, I felt like I was walking through life in a daze, going through the motions without truly living.
I had heard rumors about her. People had seen us together before everything fell apart. Fans had posted old pictures of us online, speculating about what had happened. Some had even reached out to me directly, asking if I was okay. But I never responded. I couldn't. It felt like everything I touched would fall apart, like nothing was real anymore.
In truth, I wasn't okay. But how could I tell anyone that? How could I explain that the world I had carefully built for myself was starting to crumble around me?
I missed her more than I could ever put into words. The loneliness I felt without her was unbearable. But I couldn't reach out. I couldn't do it. It wasn't just about the agency. It wasn't just about my career. It was about her, too. She deserved better than this. She deserved someone who could be there for her, without the constant pressure of the world watching. I couldn't give her that, not anymore.
I stared at my phone again, longing for a message from her. But there was nothing. Just the silence.
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[POV. Naina]
It had been a week since that day in the park, and things hadn't gotten better. If anything, they had gotten worse. The pain hadn't dulled. If anything, it had only intensified with time.
I had tried to move on. I really had. I focused on my studies. I spent time with Ruina, trying my best to pretend like everything was fine. But it wasn't. I couldn't escape the feeling that a part of me was missing. That part was Kilin.
Every time I saw his face on the screen, every time I heard his voice, I was reminded of everything we had lost. I couldn't help it. I couldn't ignore the way my heart would race whenever I thought of him.
I tried to avoid the news. I didn't want to see his name splashed across headlines. But it was impossible. Everywhere I looked, there was something about him. About Star-light. About their comeback.
And it hurt. It hurt more than I had ever imagined it would.
It wasn't fair. None of it was fair.
I was trying so hard to hold it together, to pretend like I was fine. But deep down, I knew I wasn't.
I missed him.
The worst part was that I knew it didn't matter. There was no way for us to be together. The world wouldn't allow it. Our worlds were too different. He was a star, a public figure with millions of eyes on him. I was just a regular girl with a simple life. And even though I loved him—no, because I loved him—I had to let go.
But every time I tried to move forward, I found myself sinking deeper into the memories of him.
I reached for my phone again. There it was, that familiar urge to message him, to hear his voice. But I stopped myself.
What was the point? There was no turning back now. The damage had been done.
So, I shoved the phone back into my bag and walked away from the park, feeling more lost than ever.
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[POV. Kilin]
I stood in front of the mirror, staring at my reflection. The bright lights of the dressing room reflected off my skin, but I couldn't feel them. I couldn't feel anything. I had to get ready for the concert, to face the fans, to be the idol they all wanted me to be. But it was hard. So hard.
I ran my hand through my hair, trying to clear the fog in my mind. My heart was still heavy with regret. I still thought about Naina, about the way things had ended.
I couldn't keep doing this. I couldn't keep pretending.
But I had no choice.
The loudspeaker blared, signaling that it was time for us to take the stage. I pushed the thoughts of Naina aside, focusing on the task at hand. I had to perform. For them. For Star-light. For the fans.
But deep down, I knew that no matter how many stages I stepped onto, no matter how many crowds I performed for, nothing would ever fill the hole she had left in my life.
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