Chapter 1 Fan meeting

"Yuki! Yuki! Are you okay? You've been starring at Lina for a while."

 Yuki stares at Lina standing on the stage—charming, beautiful as always. As the lights shine on her, memories of their first meeting flood Yuki's mind, stirring emotions she thought were long buried.

 After three years apart, Yuki sees Lina for the first time—standing on stage at her fan meet.

 "Yes, Rin?"

 "This is the only chance you might ever get to be close to her."

 "Okay, I just hope she still remembers me.

 One by one, fans approach to talk to their idol, each getting a minute to connect. Yuki remains calm and relaxed, watching the interactions with a quiet smile, until it's finally her turn. Her heart starts racing as she steps forward, knowing this is the moment she's been waiting for.

 "Hello, Lina."

 "Hello."

 "I brought something for you."

With a gentle smile, Yuki reached into her bag and pulled out a small, pink toy house. It was a 3D-printed replica of the project they had worked on together during their architecture university days. 

 "Aww! Is so cute, thank you!"

 As time passed, Yuki turned and walked away, her back facing Lina. But Lina's gaze lingered on her, a sense of familiarity tugging at her. She couldn't shake the feeling that she knew this girl, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't remember.

 On the other side, Yuki walked down the stage with her head lowered, a sad expression on her face. She had held onto a small hope, but now she had to accept the truth—Lina had forgotten her.

 "Rin, I think she's forgotten me already. Of course, I was just a junior teammate during the project… I guess she never even paid much attention to me." Yuki sighed, forcing a small smile, but the sting in her voice was undeniable.

 "I feel sorry for you," Rin said softly, patting Yuki gently on the shoulder.

 After the fan meeting, Yuki walked alone on the pavement at night, lost in thought, her AirPods in, music drowning out the world around her. 

 Suddenly, someone came out of nowhere and bumped into her, pulling her back to reality. Pulling out an AirPod as she looked up—her breath caught in her throat.

 It was Lina. 

 Lina smiled at Yuki—warm, familiar, like a close friend. It was the same smile she had given her back in university, the one that had once made Yuki's world feel brighter. But this time, Yuki's face held no hope, only the quiet acceptance that Lina had forgotten her.

 Yet, despite the sadness weighing on her, her heart betrayed her. It pounded in her chest, just like before. No matter how much time had passed, no matter how much she tried to move on—her love for Lina had never changed.

 "Yuki?"

 "Yes?" Yuki answered, her voice trembling.

 "How are you?" Lina asked, her tone soft and concerned.

 "I'm fine," Yuki replied quickly, trying to sound calm, even though her heart was pounding.

 At that moment, Yuki's eyes were red, with tears quietly slipping down her cheeks. She tried to hide it, but everything became too much. Unexpectedly, Lina reached into her pocket and pulled out a tissue. With surprising gentleness, she wiped away Yuki's tears.

 They entered a quiet convenience store, with only the staff present. After picking out some snacks, they sat down in a corner. Neither of them spoke, the silence making the atmosphere feel awkward.

 Finally, Yuki broke the silence, her voice hesitant. "Lina, you still remember me?"

 "Yes."

 "So, why don't you.."

"Why don't I talk to you like we already know each other, right ?" Lina asked, her voice soft. "There were staff and fans around, and we might not have had enough time to talk."

 Yuki raised her lowered head, her face filled with disbelief as she looked at Lina.

 "Now, it's my turn to ask you," Lina continued. "Why didn't you answer the message I sent you ages ago?"

 "When? I didn't get your message," Yuki replied, confusion in her voice. "You didn't even accept my friend request."

 Lina turned on her phone and showed it to Yuki. The chat was empty, except for a single message from Lina sent two years ago: "How are you, Yuki?"

"For the friend request," Lina said, her voice gentle, "as I debuted, I didn't accept requests from unknown accounts. But why didn't you use your old account?"

 "My phone broke down back then, so I had to create a new account," Yuki explained. "I tried to add you back, but you didn't accept."

 As they were talking, Yuki's phone suddenly started to ring, interrupting the moment.

 It was Yuki's mom calling.

 Yuki picked up the phone.

 "Hello, Mom."

 "Yuki, where are you? It's late already, come back home now."

 "Okay, Mom. I met a friend on my way back, so we're at a convenience store right now. I'll go home soon."

Yuki hung up the phone and quickly opened her QR code, adding Lina to her contacts.

 "Sorry, Lina. I've got to go."

 "Text me when you're back home."

 "Okay!" Yuki replied, then hurriedly rushed back home.

 Once Yuki left, Lina stayed behind, smiling at her phone. She stared at Yuki's contact page and, with a soft smile, changed the name remark to a heart emoji.