Echoes of a Pink Bunny

The ECLIPSE group's rehearsal was a disaster, and that disaster had a name: Ren Shinomiya.

They were in the middle of a complicated medley. Satoru set the pace, Kazemaru and Andrey crossed paths, but Ren, the leader, completely missed his cue. Ren stood still, staring blankly into space.

Or so he thought. In reality, his gaze was fixed, unblinking, on Junpei. The youngest member of the group was sweating cold sweat. " What did I do!? Did I mess up a step? Was my harmony off? Ren is going to kill me! "

" Cut, cut! " Satoru Namida stopped the music, running a hand through his purple hair. " Ren, are you with us? You've been skipping all the marks. "

Ren blinked, his icy facade returning instantly. " Let's do that again. " 

" Not until you tell us what's going on." insisted Satoru, crossing his arms. " You've been acting strangely all week. What's more, you're looking at Junpei as if you plan to steal his youth. "

Ren said nothing. He was stuck in a loop of his last encounter with Mio. " You're a fool! You don't know anything! " The rejection, the confusion. His logic had failed him.

While Satoru tried to get any information out of him, Kazemaru and Andrey were in a corner, looking at a phone. " Have you seen the new posts that paparazzi Kageyama uploaded?, It's going viral." Kazemaru said. " The one about the discovery in Shibuya? " Andrey replied. "I have to admit, she has potential, especially her face and che-. I mean, that pink hair is unique. They say she could be the next big hidden beauty in the fashion world. "

Ren heard "pink hair." The "arrhythmia" returned. He was about to ask them who they were talking about, to see that photo, when the studio door burst open.

It was Naoki, pale and visibly agitated. " Young Master Ren! We have to go! Now! ".

 "We're rehearsing, Naoki." Ren said with a look that showed no concern.

"You don't understand! Your father called the agency! He said that if we don't come back now, he'll fire me and you... " Naoki swallowed hard. " Let's just go! "

Without taking the time to look at the photo, Ren grabbed his things and ran out of the studio, leaving a group of very confused idols behind.

Now in the silence of the luxurious car, Naoki looked at Ren in the rearview mirror. " Young master... " he dared to ask. " Is there something troubling you? Apart from your father, I mean. " Naoki was the only one who could notice the small cracks in that icy facade. Ren sighed, an almost inaudible sound, as he watched the city rush by outside the window. " I don't understand, Naoki. " he said quietly. " I don't understand why my analysis failed. "

While that was happening, Mio was taking a shower. The hot water helped relax her muscles, which were tense from work. Then she remembered the scene in the alley... and let out a slight chuckle.

"A truck. He really thought a truck full of Nexus drinks was a good idea. And those shoes... " The panic of the previous day had dissipated, replaced by a strange amusement.

When she finished showering and was getting dressed, her gaze fell on the bunny pin resting on her messy desk. She picked it up. She remembered how Ren had given it back to her in the dark alley, her first real encounter with the shoelace stalker.

" Maybe... maybe it wasn't the best introduction. But in the end, he wasn't a bad guy. Just... very, very strange. He gave me back my pin. And he tried to give me... shoes. I guess... " Mio felt a pang of guilt. " I yelled at him. I told him he was a fool. Maybe... well... maybe I should apologize the next time I see him. It's the least I can do. "

He held the pin tightly. Thinking that his thoughts had finally calmed down, but in reality it was quite the opposite.

A memory hit her head hard. It wasn't a thought, it was... an image, a blurry image, like looking through wet glass.

She was crying. She was small, much smaller. And a boy was standing in front of her. He had hair as white as snow, and he was holding out his hand to her. In his palm lay the same bunny pin.

Mio blinked, and the memory faded. She stared at the pin in her hand, her heart beating with new confusion. "What... what was that memory? And why did it feel so real?"