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Arata-kun's voice cracked, sounding more like a fragile plea than a question. "You don't have to... be perfect for me."
The air in the room suddenly felt thin. I stood frozen, the wooden spoon trembling in my hand. For years, I had lived behind a mirror, showing only what others wanted to see. But Arata-kun hadn't just looked at the reflection; he had shattered it with a single sentence. He wasn't talking to the girl everyone knew from the screens. He was talking to the tired girl sitting right in front of him—the one who had finally run out of strength to hide her pain.
I took a shaky breath and sat on the edge of the bed. The warmth from the bowl of Okayu seeped into my cold palms.
"I'm not being perfect, Arata-kun," I whispered, my gaze fixed on the steam rising from the bowl. "For the first time in a long time... I don't know who I'm being. I just know that seeing you like this... it hurts more than keeping up my act."
I carefully blew on a spoonful of the porridge and held it out. Arata-kun looked at me, his eyes searching for the "Idol" he usually saw at school. When he found only a girl with tired eyes and messy hair, he finally leaned forward.
The moment the warmth touched his lips, his expression softened. "It tastes... familiar," he murmured, his voice trailing off. "When I was little and had a fever... someone used to make this for me. I had forgotten this taste. I thought I'd never feel this warmth again."
My heart ached for him. I didn't know what to say, but seeing him so lonely and fragile made me feel a deep sadness I couldn't explain. We were just two broken people in a silent room, connected by nothing but a bowl of rice and a lost memory. For the first time, I felt a real connection, something I thought I had lost forever.
But that peace was short-lived. A heavy, rhythmic thumping suddenly vibrated through the floor.
THUD! THUD! THUD!
"Arata! I know you're in there! Open this door before I use the spare key!" the landlord's voice boomed from the hallway.
My heart plummeted. The "Idol" in me screamed in terror. If the door opened, the scandal would destroy everything. I looked at Arata-kun, my eyes wide with panic.