Nanami looked at herself in the mirror, admiring the new ginger hair colour. It suited her well, giving her a vibrant, fresh look.

"$350, right?" she confirmed with the stylist, who nodded.

It was still quite affordable for six hours of detailed work. Nanami paid, grabbed her things, and stepped out of the salon. Outside, it was pouring rain. She lingered under the store's awning, hoping the downpour would let up soon.

Suddenly, a large blue umbrella appeared in front of her, followed by a familiar face. "Akira!" she exclaimed, surprised but happy to see him.

The umbrella tilted slightly, revealing his bright, beaming smile. "Wanted to be the first to see you. You look stunning," he said, leaning in for a quick kiss.

Nanami's heart fluttered. She felt warm seeing him, even though they lived far apart. "You came quite far. Is everything okay?" she asked with a raised brow.

Akira scratched the back of his head, a sheepish grin on his face. "Just wanted to see you. And since you look really good today, it'd be a sin not to take you somewhere fun, right?"

Nanami laughed, her pride swelling at the compliment. "You're right, it would be sacrilegious," she teased, slipping under the umbrella to avoid getting wet.

Her freshly done hair and chic outfit — a cream-colored saris skirt paired with a cream top and knee-high boots — had her feeling on top of the world. The waist-length, knotless braids were expensive for good reason, drawing approving stares from passersby as she walked. And it seemed Akira agreed, as he guided her to a restaurant.

It was a bit unexpected, but considering she hadn't eaten all day and it was already 5 PM, she welcomed the idea wholeheartedly.

To avoid any wardrobe accidents with her white attire, Nanami opted for steak, cutting back on cocktails this time out of consideration for Akira's wallet. He ordered pasta, and as they sat across from each other, Akira's gaze never left her.

"If you keep staring at me like that, I'll get too self-conscious to eat," Nanami teased, glancing up with a smirk.

"You say that, but you're still eating." Akira chuckled. Despite her words, Nanami continued to devour her food with confidence. Self-consciousness wasn't really in her vocabulary, especially when so many others in the restaurant were also casting glances her way. Akira had to admit, he admired that about her.

"How's Dark Siren going?" Nanami asked between bites. "I haven't seen Julie in a while. I should drop by practice again."

Akira waved his hand dismissively. "You're busy, aren't you? You're practically on a 9-5 grind with school. Just focus on that."

School. Nanami grimaced at the thought. "Ugh, don't remind me. I was supposed to sing at this really nice event, but it was an afternoon gig, so I had to decline. It's frustrating."

Before Akira could respond, the atmosphere in the restaurant shifted. A woman approached their table. She was stunning — tall, strikingly thin, with porcelain skin that looked as if it had been sculpted from marble. Her blonde hair was styled perfectly, and her lips were cherries, heavenly, and curved into a smile.

"Akira? Oh my gosh, it's been forever!" The woman exclaimed, her voice light and cheerful. Akira froze for a second, caught off guard.

"Sophie?" Akira said, standing up slightly to greet her.

Sophie smiled warmly at Nanami, her perfect white teeth flashing. "Hi, you must be Nanami, right? I've heard so much about you! I do photoshoots for Dark Siren sometimes. You look amazing!" She extended her hand towards Nanami, her voice dripping with friendliness that Nanami disliked.

Nanami took the hand, feeling awkward. "Thanks," she managed to say, her tone polite but guarded.

"I'm a photographer and model," Sophie explained. "If you ever need any portfolio work, I'd love to help. You've got such a unique look!" With that, she pulled out a business card from her clutch and handed it to Nanami.

"Thanks," Nanami said again, unsure of how else to respond.

Sophie gave her one last dazzling smile. "Anyway, I won't interrupt you two any longer. Just wanted to say hi. Akira, it was really great seeing you again. Nanami, don't hesitate to reach out if you need anything." With that, she waved and floated off, as effortlessly as she had appeared.

Nanami stared down at the business card.

"So... that was Sophie," Nanami said, trying to sound casual but feeling a knot of discomfort forming in her stomach.

Akira nodded, taking a sip of water. "Yeah. It's been a while since I last saw her."

Nanami remained silent, staring at the business card in her hand. A model? Really? How the hell was she meant to compete with that?

"She's... really pretty," Nanami said, her voice quiet but strained, barely holding back the frustration bubbling inside her.

Akira blinked, taken aback. "She's always friendly like that, sometimes it's exhausting."

"Friendly? She was practically flaunting herself in front of you."

Akira frowned, clearly confused. "What are you talking about? She was just saying hello. She even offered you her card."

"Oh, for my unique look right?" Nanami shot back, her voice rising.

Akira rubbed the back of his neck, still unsure of what was happening. "Nanami, she didn't do anything wrong. You're blowing this way out of proportion."

"I'm blowing this out of proportion?" She repeated, incredulous. "You just don't get it, do you? How stupid can you get?"

Akira's frustration boiled over. "Why are you picking a fight? Nothing happened?"

That was the final straw. Nanami stood up abruptly, her chair scraping loudly against the floor, eyes blazing with anger. "Enjoy your meal."

Before Akira could say another word, Nanami left, leaving him alone at the table. He watched her go, bewildered and at a loss for how everything had unravelled so quickly. The cheerful mood they'd had just moments ago had shattered, and now he was left wondering what had just happened.

Nanami walked through the pouring rain, ignoring the fact that she was getting soaked. She wasn't thinking straight, and by the time she reached her apartment, her clothes were drenched, and her heart was pounding in her chest.

When she got inside, the place was empty, silent, and dark. That was when the flood of emotions finally broke through. She threw her bag to the floor and looked up to the mirror, her reflection staring back at her—taunting her.

Without thinking, Nanami grabbed a pair of scissors from the dresser. Her hands shook as she stared at her reflection, the braids that had taken hours to perfect just hours before now seemed like a thorn in her flesh. Without a second thought, she began cutting them off.

She hacked through the carefully woven strands, the soft sound of the braids hitting the floor was drowned out by her heavy breathing, the sharp snip of the scissors filling the room.

When she was done, her hair was uneven, jagged, a mess. But it wasn't enough. The sight of herself in the mirror, hair ruined, and yet she could only stare coldly at her self with piercing eyes filled with bitterness.

In a burst of uncontrollable rage, Nanami screamed and stabbed the mirror with her scissors, shattering it into pieces. The glass cracked and fell, scattering across the floor, reflecting her distorted, broken image in the shards.

Nanami was unsure of how long she had stayed laying in the pile of glass before Shin came home.

The lights weren't on but the doors were unlocked. It was early in the morning, and he was exhausted. 

The apartment was eerily quiet. The lights weren't on, but the door was unlocked. Shin's heart raced as he stepped inside. Something was off. His mind was buzzing with anxiety, but exhaustion weighed down on him after a long night. He called out softly, "Nanami?"

No response.

He moved through the apartment slowly, every creak in the floorboard amplifying the silence. When he reached her room, the door was slightly ajar. Shin pushed it open, and his stomach dropped. Nanami was lying on the floor, surrounded by broken glass and chunks of her hair scattered everywhere. Her breathing was shallow, her face pale, and the sight of the damage she had done to herself froze him in place.

"Nanami!" Shin shouted, rushing over and shaking her gently, trying to wake her up. "Hey, hey, come on! Nanami, wake up!"

She didn't stir, and panic set in. His hands trembled as he pulled out his phone and dialled Hachi's number. It rang... and rang. No answer. His pulse quickened as dread pooled in his gut.

"Hachi, pick up, pick up!" He muttered desperately, trying again. Still no response.

He cursed under his breath and tried Nobu next. Again, no answer.

Feeling the panic rise in his chest, he dialled Nana. His fingers were shaking so badly that he nearly dropped the phone as it rang. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, she picked up.

"Shin?" Nana's voice sounded confused. She was with Ren; he could hear his muffled voice in the background.

"Nana, it's Nanami. Something's wrong. She's not waking up, and there's glass—her hair—she cut her hair off, and—" His words came out in a jumbled rush as he fought to hold back the wave of terror crashing over him.

"Shin, calm down," Nana said firmly, her voice steadying him for just a moment. "We're coming. Stay with her. We'll be there as fast as we can."

Within minutes, Nana and Ren were at the apartment. The sight that welcomed them left Nana speechless for a second, but she quickly regained her composure. Ren moved swiftly, scooping Nanami up effortlessly, carrying her on his back. Nana grabbed a blanket, wrapping it around Nanami to shield her from the chill.

"Let's get her to the hospital."

.

"Personally, I only listen to underground artists. Despite only singing covers, Eloise's music is something else."

"Who is Eloise?"

"The rising star of the underground media. What you might not know about her is she is actually a student at the university of Tokyo!"

The TV by the shopfront blared, and the person watching stared transfixed at the face on the TV screen; a few others were watching the late-night show too. Japanese subtitles played underneath. 

Eloise had entered the public eye.