On a quiet Friday, late at night, Nene settled into her favorite light pink beanbag, the soft glow of her gaming console washing her room in gentle, comforting light. Her small fingers moved deftly over the controller, guiding her character with practiced precision through the chill of a snowy, winter-themed level. It had been a long week— the troupe’s latest performance had gone off without a hitch, leaving her both exhausted and elated. Her lavender eyes, soft yet alert, reflected the flickering screen, strands of her long wavy greyish-green hair lightly sticking out from the loose braid she had hastily pulled it into earlier.

Then, something unusual caught the corner of her eye. A shadow flickered across the blue moonlight spilling through her window. For a moment, the singer thought it was a trick of the light, a fleeting reflection. But a soft, deliberate thud on her windowsill made her pause mid-controller press, her heart skipping a beat. She froze, fingers tightening instinctively on the controller. Slowly, cautiously, she turned her head—and froze again. There, framed by the cool blue glow of the moon, was Rui. His lavender-cyan hair, tied into a small ponytail, shimmered like soft silk, and his pale golden eyes gleamed with that mischievous, cat-like smile he had worn since they were little.

“Rui! What… what are you—” Her honeyed voice cracked in a mixture of shock and exasperation, and her cheeks flushed pink. She watched as Rui pushed gently against the window, his tall frame compressing awkwardly as he slipped inside. He landed lightly on her bed, settling against the duvet, long limbs stretching in a way that seemed almost practiced, as if he had imagined this moment a hundred times before.

Nene blinked. Once, twice, and slowly began to calm, the initial horror of her boyfriend slipping into her room like some male character from an American rom-com fading away. It was replaced by a mix of exasperation and endearment, a warmth in her chest that made her smile slightly.

“What’s this for?” the songstress asked, game forgotten, “is it a new experiment or something?”