Chapter Text
Kyoko Mogami sat alone in her room.
The events of the day kept looping in her mind, over and over again.
That morning, she had been sure her heart would be shattered in a way she had never known before. Not even the cruel mockery and cold indifference of her childhood friend, nor her mother’s icy rejection—wounds that had once scarred her deeply—could compare to the fear of losing her beloved senpai to someone who wouldn’t love him the way he deserved.
But things hadn’t turned out the way she expected.
Ren Tsuruga had chased after her, cornered her in an elevator, and with a trembling voice, confessed that the girl Japan’s number-one bachelor longed for... was her.
Kyoko Mogami.
The plain, awkward girl.
Ren Tsuruga—the embodiment of perfection, the most admired actor in the country—had chosen her.
Kyoko couldn’t help the bright smile that spread across her face as she touched the necklace Tsuruga-san had placed around her neck.
They had agreed that, for now, starting a relationship wasn’t an option. It would complicate their careers, and the gap between them—his fame, his experience, his age—was impossible to ignore.
Kyoko wanted to learn how to stand on her own in the world she had chosen.
But now…
"What do I do next?"
She didn’t want to lose herself in this feeling. This time, she would take things slowly.
A part of her—the selfish side that rarely surfaced—wanted to scream to the world that Ren Tsuruga loved her. But more than anything, she dreamed of standing beside him as his equal.
The problem was, despite all her progress, she still wasn’t there yet.
Her best friend and her beloved senpai had been selected for a project in the United States.
She was supposed to go with them, as Moko-san’s personal assistant.
When Love Me assigned her that task, Kyoko had been thrilled. And a part of her still was.
But another part of her had just awakened.
Sitting on her futon, she tried to untangle the storm of emotions swirling inside her. She wanted to spend time with Ren and Kanae, even if only in stolen moments between work. But another part of her… didn’t want to be left behind.
Two of her favorite people were about to reach new heights, and Kyoko truly was happy for them.
But she was also jealous.
The realization horrified her. Who did she think she was? Tsuruga-san and Moko-san deserved that chance! How arrogant could she be to envy something so far beyond her reach?
She sighed and lay down, trying to force herself to sleep, though her thoughts wouldn’t stop.
She needed rest. Tomorrow, she had to be Momiji— and Momiji couldn’t afford to hesitate.
---
Hikaru Kamiki watched the Tokyo skyline from the balcony of his new apartment.
A part of him still couldn’t believe this was real.
Only two years had passed since his adoption—during the Himekawa funeral—but the memory remained soaked in warmth and guilt.
One of Lalalai’s senior staff, Kindaichi-san, had told him words that still haunted him:
“That’s why you must carry the burden. You’re the one who’ll live their lives now and forever.”
The air had left his lungs. The weight of those words had crushed him, guilt and pain spreading through his chest until he could barely breathe.
Then, a pair of warm hands had covered his ears.
When he looked up, he saw Takato Saijō, an actor he’d once worked with, watching him with quiet compassion.
Takato was special. Seijuro had introduced them during a stage production, and since then, the talented actor had become a protective figure in his life—one of the few adults Hikaru truly trusted.
Takato had also shielded him from Airi. Hikaru never fully understood what had happened between them, but Takato had sensed his unease and kept him safe. And when Takato couldn’t, Junta Azumaya stepped in.
But when both actors left for Spain for an extended project, Airi took advantage of their absence like never before.
During the funeral, as Takato hugged Hikaru, a small pair of arms joined the embrace. Taiki cried, frightened by the older boy reaction.
And in that moment—everything changed.
Before he even realized it, Hikaru Kamiki had become Hikaru Saijō. Taiki had been adopted too, becoming his younger brother. Oh, and he had also learned that Takato and Junta were a couple, that they’d gone to Spain to plan their wedding… and that they were taking both boys with them for a fresh start.
They spent several months in Japan finalizing adoption papers and preparing for their new life abroad.
During that time, Hikaru tried to reach Ai—but it was impossible.
When he learned she’d gone on hiatus for health reasons, he tried even harder. He even sought help from Nino’s crazy boyfriend, an obsessive fan of Ai.
Nothing worked. Until Junta discovered a hidden hospital nestled among the mountains and forests.
Hikaru had known Ai was pregnant with his child, but seeing her again—with the proof of their love growing inside her—had shaken him to his core.
He’d wanted to support her, but she pushed him away.
Told him she didn’t need him.
Begged him to leave.
The pain blinded him. Ai’s doctor had guided him outside to a bench, and they talked quietly for a while. Before leaving, Hikaru handed him every yen he had—a considerable sum—and begged him to take care of Ai and the babies. Twins.
He’d wanted to hate her. To get revenge. He’d almost sent the hospital’s address to Nino’s boyfriend—until small hands stopped him.
Taiki had come looking for him.
Takato had scolded him for disappearing, and Junta for letting it happen, but then… they both hugged him tight. And for a moment, that warmth pressed against his skin dulled the ache in his shattered heart.
That was the moment Hikaru made a decision.
If the love of Takato, Junta, and Taiki could ease his pain, he would do whatever it took to keep it.
He would be the perfect son.
The perfect brother.
The perfect actor.
Two years passed in Spain—two years of being spoiled by Grandpa Celestino and Grandma Yachiyo, two years of relentless effort to be the flawless son he thought they deserved.
They talked about his future, about acting again, and Hikaru begged to return to the only thing he truly knew—performing.
Now that they were finally back in Japan, he swore he wouldn’t ruin it.
But as he lay in bed that night, a quiet, cruel voice whispered in his mind:
“When will you stop pretending?”