3

And I want to be the best dancer possible."

"I see."

"Mr. Redwood?" Yuri asked

"Hmm?"

"How do you feel after winning so many competitions? Are you happy?"

"Ah well, I guess... I'm feeling great now that I achieved my dreams. Everything is great. I mean I'm still young, I'm only 30 years old, I don't have too many years left, I just need to enjoy myself."

"But you're also not satisfied with yourself, right? What you do isn't enough for you."

"Yura, I just did what I had to do. There's nothing wrong with that. I mean, I am famous after all."

"But do you truly enjoy being famous? Or do you only do it because you have to? Do you truly enjoy having millions of followers following you around everywhere? Why do you even bother doing all of this stuff? Why bother doing so much publicity? Do you even care about the people who follow you around?"

"Don't worry about those things, Yura. I'll always do what I need to do. I need the adoration of hundreds of thousands of fans to achieve the things I desire."

"But doesn't it bother you? Doesn't it bother you at all? Doesn't it get tiring?"

"Not at all, Yurio. I love being famous. I love the attention and the money. It's what I live for."

"But, don't you miss your real life?"

"I have no real life here, Yura. All I do is work. I love working and I don't regret any of it. If I can give up everything for fame then why would I do anything else? Why would I change myself for someone else?"

"I guess you're right," Yuri replied, "but I can't help thinking that you'd rather be normal than be famous."

"If I didn'a have to be famous, Yurio, if I didn't have to put out the effort to be known for myself, I wouldn't have to work so damn hard to keep my identity hidden. I wouldn't have to put myself through the hardships just to win and be able to get fame. I wouldn't have to endure everything to reach where I am today. I don't think I'd be able to handle all the pressure."

"So, you don't think you'd choose fame over your actual life?"

"That's what makes it interesting, Yurio. Fame means fame but without a purpose and without a reason to live my life, that's boring. I love living, I don't love the fame."

"Are you saying you prefer being poor?"

"I guess that's what I meant."

"But if you loved fame, you wouldn't be so bitter about it."

"That's true, but fame is like love, sometimes you have to sacrifice something to obtain it. Some sacrifices must be made."

"Like what?"

"Well, like giving up your own identity, or the freedom of your own soul. That's not something everyone can easily afford, Yurio."

"That's bullshit! What do you mean, 'that's bullshit'? Everyone can buy fame with money! It just depends on how you use it."

"True, but people usually spend more time trying to earn fame than spending it freely. And that doesn't work. People who spend their time fighting for fame end up losing."

"That doesn't fucking make sense! You're telling me people who work their asses off just to gain fame are better than those who spend it selfishly?"

"Sometimes people who live by their reputation end up dying alone. They live for their image and it's easy for them to forget that sometimes fame is not enough for success."

"So you're saying that those people who live by their fame die alone?"

"Yeah, I guess. But you have to remember that fame never lasts forever. And when it does go away, people start to look for a new job or another person to take the spotlight. People can be content with fame and be satisfied with whatever they have, it's what makes them strong. But they will eventually discover that it's just temporary. Eventually, people will grow tired of being celebrities. It's easier to let go of fame and its meaning when someone is dead. Even I am tired of fame."

"I don't believe that, I don't think that anyone who gets famous dies alone." Yuri said stubbornly.

"Maybe not, maybe not.