Act 8: Butterflies

|POV: Tsukishiro Yukina|

Watching Natsuki drive away left a hollow ache in my chest, sharper than I expected. I didn’t linger on it. I couldn’t afford to. My head had been drifting too much lately, and with Nationals looming, that kind of distraction was dangerous. Not that she was.

As the black car disappeared into the street, I turned on my heel and headed toward the bench at the edge of the park.

I’d noticed him earlier, during my run, lingering near the amphitheater where I’d left Natsuki.

“You’re not as subtle as you think,” I said, stopping a few steps away. My voice came out colder than I felt. “If you were trying to follow us.”

The man sat with his legs crossed, sunglasses hiding his eyes despite the fading daylight.

“Yuuto Sterling.”

A slow smile curved his lips, like he’d been expecting that.

“I’m impressed,” he replied calmly. “We’ve only met once, and even then it was brief—before Natsuki dragged you off campus.”

I didn’t relax. If anything, I stiffened.

I took him in properly this time. The sunglasses were the only attempt at a disguise. No hat. No guards. No effort to blend in. For someone with his reputation, it was careless, or intentional.

He wasn’t trying to stay hidden.

He wanted me to notice him.

And that realization set my nerves on edge.

He was dressed casually this time—gray jeans, a plain white sweatshirt. It was a stark contrast to the polished image he’d worn before, and somehow that made him harder to read.

“Did you want something from me,” I asked, “or are you here for Natsuki?”

“I’m not here to cause trouble,” he said smoothly. “I was simply curious about your relationship with my fiancée.”
The word landed with intention. 

I hesitated for only a moment.

To me, Natsuki wasn’t an untouchable figure or someone to be handled carefully. She’d never treated herself that way around me either. She laughed, complained, and smiled. Just another girl wanting company.

“She’s a friend,” I said.

Yuuto studied me in silence, like he was searching for something beneath the answer. It wasn’t as sharp as Miss Velvet’s scrutiny, but it carried its own weight.

And I knew he didn’t quite believe me.

“Friend…” He let the word linger. “Natsuki and I have been engaged for as long as I can remember. She’s had friends before. None of them lasted.”
He tilted his head. “Care to guess why?”

I didn’t answer. I didn’t need to.

“They wanted Koba Natsuki, not the person,” he continued. “They stayed close for the name, the access. She didn’t realize it at first, not until high school. Boys chased her for status. Girls kept her around for popularity.” His mouth tightened. “I watched it happen. Over and over.”

My fingers curled at my side.

“Our engagement wasn’t public until she graduated,” he went on. “But I was there long before that. I saw what they did to her. People like that…” He exhaled through his nose. “They’re the worst.”

The meaning was clear now.

“She told me she was done with people,” he said. “That she’d focus on acting and keep her distance. So when I see she’s made a new friend after all this time…” His gaze sharpened. “I assume the worst.”

He gave a soft, humorless chuckle. “You see where I’m going with this.”

My chest burned.

“You’re like the rest,” he said calmly. “Getting close for your own benefit. And once you’ve had your fill, you’ll throw her away too—”

“I would never do that.”

The words cut through him, through the air, through my own hesitation. Even I was surprised by how quickly they came.

I met his stare without flinching. “I would never use her. And I would never toss her aside.”

The silence that followed was heavy.

And for the first time, he didn’t look entirely sure of himself.

He held my gaze. “And what makes you think you’re any different from the others?”

I drew in a sharp breath, steadying myself. “Because she helped me stand back up when I couldn’t anymore. If it weren’t for her, I don’t think I’d even be here.”

I hesitated, then continued more carefully. “The words she said came from a role she played. I know that. But at that moment, they felt real. They reached me. And everything after that was genuine.”

“That’s why I couldn’t do what you’re accusing me of,” I said quietly. “I owe her more than that. Friend or not, she’s the reason I’m pushing myself further than I ever have. I want to be someone who can stand beside her without lowering my head.” My jaw tightened. “If I couldn’t do that much, I wouldn’t deserve to call myself her friend.”

The words lingered between us.

I hadn’t said them out loud before. Not to Chiaki. Not to Benio. Not even to Natsuki. The heat rising to my face told me as much.

When I looked back up, Yuuto Sterling was staring at me, his face flushed red.

“Why are you turning red?” I blurted, pointing at him before I could stop myself. “I’m the one who said all that.”

He sucked in a breath and turned away, covering his face with an arm. “I just— I didn’t expect that to come out of you. You sounded like you were confessing. Can you blame me?”

“I was defending myself,” I shot back. “I’m not like those people. I care about her. That’s it.”

Slowly, he lowered his arm. The color hadn’t fully left his ears, but his expression had softened.
“…I’m sorry,” he said. “I pushed you on purpose. I wanted to see what you’d say when cornered. Those things did happen to her.” He exhaled. “But it seems I misjudged you.”

Some of the tension drained from my shoulders.

“She just wanted someone honest,” I said after a moment, rubbing the back of my neck. “Someone normal. To me, she’s just… a girl. One who happens to be an award-winning actress.”

Yuuto’s gaze dropped to the ground. When he spoke again, his voice had lost its edge. “She’s never looked that way around me,” he murmured, but not out of disappointment.

“You must care a great deal about Natsuki to confront me like that,” I said after a moment. “I assumed you were just going along with the engagement out of convenience.”
I stepped closer and placed a hand on his shoulder. “But it’s clear you care about her more than you let on.”

He let out a quiet chuckle. “That obvious, huh?”

Then, almost casually, he added, “She’s never been interested in me. Our engagement was political. Purely for appearances.”

I froze.

“We agreed long ago to annul it once either of us found the person we truly wanted to be with,” he continued. “Our parents don’t know, so keep that to yourself.” He gave me a quick wink.

“You… don’t like Natsuki?” The question slipped out before I could stop it.

“She’s more like a little sister,” he said. “But I still care about her.”

Relief washed through me so suddenly I had to steady myself.

Yuuto exhaled, a small smile forming. “Honestly, I’m just glad she’s finally found someone she’s interested in.”

The relief slammed to a halt.

I didn’t bother hiding my reaction, my brows furrowed, my mouth fell open just slightly, my nose wrinkling as I processed his words.

The moment he saw my expression, he burst out laughing.

“Hah—wow. I thought you were going to be the one with your hands full,” he said between laughs. “Looks like she might beat you to it.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” I muttered, though my thoughts were already spiraling.

He stepped closer, grin lingering, and handed me a business card. The front bore what seemed to be his father’s company logo; the back had a handwritten number and his signature.

“If you ever need help,” he said lightly, “give me a call. I’ll see you around, Yukina.” He slipped his hands into his pockets and walked off without another glance.”

“…When did I ever tell him my name?” I stared at the card, stunned.

I remained there, the card warm between my fingers, unsure whether I wanted to pocket it—or toss it away.

~~~

There was a buzz all over campus, one I couldn’t seem to avoid wherever I went.

“IT’S THIS WEEKEND!” A voice blared as I just completed my stretches, wincing at the volume.

Benio had come up to me, her eyes wide, excitement plastered on her whole face. “I don’t know if you knew, but this is Koba Natsuki’s first main role as a love interest!” I cocked my head in her direction.

That was news to me. She’d only mentioned that this role was difficult because she struggled conveying the lines. Though thinking back at the lines she did rehearse maybe it did have some sort of romantic feel to it.

Thinking about it, the only show I’d ever seen Natsuki in was just that one Chiaki invited me to. I kinda feel bad that I hadn’t seen anything else she starred in.

“What kind of roles does she usually play?”

I asked the fan.

She looked at me as if she’d been waiting her whole life to answer, “Ahem! She’s been well received for her action roles with the ‘Hoshizora Troupe’ but not only that she played the role of the villain very well when it came down to it.”

I nodded as she continued. “Though it wasn’t till recently that her roles have become less action and more sentimental. Though critics say that she’s not well-suited for a role as a lover, basically challenging her to take on those different roles. Until she landed a starring role in ‘Spark Again’ and now ‘Of Silk and Plain Cloth’. This role is supposed to prove whether or not Koba Natsuki can truly play any role she’s given!”

There was a lot of confidence in Benio’s voice as she shared the information like a professional. Very informative and eye opening. It was hard to believe someone like her was still being put through a test.

“Do you think she’ll do well in this role for her next play?” I asked honestly.

Benio paused and thought about it. “I will be a fan of Koba Natsuki no matter what role or how good of a role it is. You may be asking the wrong person, but I believe she’ll nail this one just as she’s nailed her previous ones!”

Good answer.

I haven’t read the synopsis for her upcoming play yet, but I thought I’d be surprised to see what it was about once it unfolded.

“Well, I’ll probably see you there then,” my reply was nonchalant as I removed myself from our little stretching circle.

“Since when were you a Koba Natsuki fan?” It was Tatsumi’s turn.

My feet stopped in its tracks. How long has it been since that play? “I’d say a few weeks,” then kept on walking without elaborating.

Practice had been the same, Coach kept track of our times, everyone was focused on doing their thing before Nationals. Myself on the other hand, when our Coach said ‘stop’ I only continued.

My morning had bled into minutes just before my first class. I didn’t make it to Natsuki’s rehearsal, but knowing they did practice till noon, I decided to make an appearance.

Passing through the double doors to the auditorium, on stage seemed to be an abundance of people gathered. Of the times I’ve been in here to watch these individuals look like new faces.

I took my regular seat in the back only to be surprised by Yuuto Sterling who was sitting right behind me.

“What a coincidence, didn’t think we’d see each other again so soon!” His voice was one of intrigue.

Neither did I.

“They just finished Act I. Did you come to watch Natsuki and her troupe rehearse?”

So that’s who those people were on stage. I had never seen her practice with those people before. I gave Yuuto a subtle nod.

“They decided to use this place at Natsuki’s request. There were only a few days left till the real thing, so they decided to use up their mornings together.” He explained.

Even if the people in the troupe were just as dazzling as Natsuki, she still had my attention amongst them all. All of a sudden I remembered Benio’s words. “First romantic role”.

This story was a love story. I then searched the crowd on stage, anyone that seemed to be the male lead. My head whipped from side to side.

“In the far left, he’s talking with Natsuki.” Yuuto leaned in.

“I-I’m not—” I turned back at him with my cheeks heating, but he just gestured with his chin back to the stage with a smirk on his face.

Then I spotted him, a handsome young man, maybe a few years older than she was. A head taller with a decent build, nicely kept dark-colored hair, and a blinding smile that almost seemed to rival Natsuki’s, but no doubt hers couldn’t be beat.

I could feel my heart run rampant seeing her talk to him, though her facial expression was still rather serious, almost to the point it hurt. I’d never felt anything like this before but it definitely was not a pleasant feeling.

Thoughts of the worst case scenario began to cloud my head. Ever since I last spoke with Yuuto it was as if something inside me was awoken.

Besides practice, Natsuki occupied my thoughts, leaving a restless flutter in my chest.