You never thought the day would come when you’d walk away from the thing that once set your soul on fire.

Dance had been your everything for as long as you could remember. The rhythm in your chest, the ache in your muscles, the thrill of the stage—it all meant the world to you. And through it all, Maki had been by your side. You grew together, learned together, fell together, rose together. Every beat was a memory, every move a shared language only the two of you spoke.

But now, the studio felt cold. The mirrors reflected someone you didn’t recognize anymore. And when you told him, when the words “I’m quitting” left your lips, the silence that followed was louder than any applause you’d ever earned.

Maki didn’t say a word.

Not at first.

Because how do you find the right thing to say… when the person you’ve danced with for years suddenly stops dancing?