The bright lights of the convention hall burned against Kiko’s tired eyes. His cheeks ached from forced smiles, and his voice felt strained after hours of performing and answering fan questions. Still, he kept his grin wide as he posed with fans and signed posters. If he let his exhaustion show, Mr. Reyes would definitely have words for him later.

“Alright, that’s the last fan for now!” a staff member called. Kiko sighed in relief, stepping away from the booth. His legs felt like jelly, and his stomach growled — Mr. Reyes hadn’t let him eat much that morning, saying it would make him “look bloated on stage.”

He wandered to a quieter hallway, leaning against the wall to rest. The muffled noise of the crowd buzzed in the background. He rubbed his eyes, willing himself to keep it together.

“Kiko!”

His head shot up. That voice — he knew that voice.

Before he could react, a small figure barreled into him, nearly knocking him over.

“M-Miguel?” Kiko stammered, staring down at his little brother clinging to his waist.

“You got taller!” Miguel grinned up at him, eyes wide with excitement. “Mom said you’d look cooler, but I didn’t think you’d be this cool!”

Kiko blinked rapidly, as if he couldn’t believe what he was seeing. “Wait… what are you doing here?”

“Surprise!”

His mom’s voice rang out, and there she was — standing just a few steps away, smiling proudly. Alia stood beside her, pretending not to be emotional as she adjusted her hair.

“You guys…” Kiko’s voice cracked. “You’re… here?”

His mom chuckled, stepping forward to pull him into a tight hug. “Of course we are. Did you really think we’d miss this?”

Kiko clung to her like he was afraid she’d disappear. He buried his face into her shoulder, swallowing the lump in his throat. “I didn’t think… I thought you couldn’t…”

Miguel tugged on his sleeve. “Kiko! Can we go see your booth? I wanna tell your fans I’m your brother!”

For the first time in what felt like forever, Kiko felt like himself again — not just an idol, but a son, a brother… a kid.