Eva's phone screen went dark. Total silence reigned in the room once more, leaving the two adjacent houses in the dark; one containing a girl rebuilding her memories, and the other containing a girl holding a promise to stay until the dawn finally breaks.
The morning sunlight filtered shyly through the gaps in Eva's curtains, creating a streak of light that fell right on her eyelids. Eva startled, her body jerking into a sitting position so suddenly that her phone still lying beside her pillow, nearly tumbled to the floor.
"O-ouch! What time is it?!" she exclaimed in a raspy, just-woken voice. Her heart hammered against her ribs, imagining she had already missed the opening bell on this busy Monday morning.
She snatched her phone with trembling hands. The screen lit up: 06:18.
Eva froze for a moment. Her racing breath gradually steadied. Her shoulders slumped in relief as she realized school didn't start until eight. There was still plenty of time. The silence of the room seemed to mock her momentary panic. Lazily, she trudged to the bathroom just to wash her face, letting the remnants of sleep wash away with the cold water.
Without changing out of her sleepwear, still in the pink silk crop top tank top from the night before. Eva grabbed her house keys. She stepped out, crossed the small yard separating her house from Eillya's, and entered her best friend's residence with a fluid familiarity, as if it were her own home.
The atmosphere inside Eillya's house was profoundly quiet. Without wasting a second, Eva headed for the kitchen. The clink of a pan and the fragrant aroma of buttered fried rice soon filled the room, breaking the morning stillness. After ensuring two breakfast plates were served on the table, Eva climbed the stairs toward Eillya's room.
Knock, knock, knock.
"Illyaaaa, wake up! The sun is high!" she shouted, swinging the door open without waiting for an answer.
Eillya was just sitting up on the edge of her bed, her hair a bit messy, eyes staring blankly toward the window, a rare sight only Eva was privileged to see. Eva gave her a cheerful nudge to get her moving for breakfast.
They ate in silence. There was no heavy talk about last night's concert or about Amily. For them, breakfast was a neutral space before they donned their respective school "masks." Only after finishing did they return to their own homes to properly clean up and put on their proud uniforms: the neat, signature Rosendale High blazer for Eillya, and a stylish, slightly modified version for Eva.
Around seven-thirty, they stepped out of their houses simultaneously. Walking side by side under the leafy trees toward school, they looked like two different but inseparable sides of the same coin.
However, as the gates of Rosendale High appeared in the distance and the crowd of students thickened, an unwritten protocol took effect. Eillya quickened her pace, walking several meters ahead of Eva with her cold gaze perfectly back in place.
Eillya entered through the gates first, passing rows of students who watched her with a sense of awe and hesitation, returning to her role as the untouchable Icy Maiden. Only a few minutes later did Eva follow, with a relaxed stride and a friendly smile shared with everyone who greeted her.
Two different roles had resumed, yet the secret of what happened at Live House Horizon remained tightly kept between their footsteps.
The atmosphere in Class 1-A of Rosendale High that morning was far noisier than usual. It wasn't due to shouting or loud laughter, but rather rumors spreading like small fires over a pile of dry straw. Eillya sat at her desk, staring straight at the window which displayed a view of the school field beginning to fill with students. She could feel the stolen glances directed her way, followed by whispers muffled behind palms.
"...yesterday at Horizon..."
"...that voice was definitely her..."
"...the Nameless vocalist..."
Those words were caught clearly by Eillya's sharp hearing. She only took a short breath, maintaining her unreadable, flat expression, as if a thick glass wall separated her from the bustle of Class 1-A. To her, what happened on stage last night was a matter of soul and promise, not public consumption for a class hungry for sensation.
A few minutes later, the classroom door opened and Eva stepped in with her usual bright aura. "Good morning, everyone!" she greeted cheerily, as if nothing extraordinary had happened a few hours prior.
However, Eva immediately noticed something was different. She saw a group of girls huddled around a desk in the middle of the room, busy staring at a phone screen while occasionally glancing toward Eillya's desk with expressions of disbelief. With an intentional display of curiosity, Eva approached the group with a light step.
"Whoa, what's going on here? Looks like things are exciting so early in the morning," Eva asked, squeezing into the middle of the crowd with her signature friendly smile.
As soon as they realized Eva was there, the students grew frantic. One of them grabbed Eva's blazer sleeve excitedly. "Eva! Look at this! This is really you and Eillya, right? At Live House Horizon last night!"
They thrust a phone forward, displaying a video on a short-form video platform that was currently going viral. The video was taken from a side angle of the stage; the quality was clear enough to show Eillya pouring out her emotions during the song Oath, with the stage lights framing her silhouette dramatically. Beside her, Eva was clearly visible, standing gallantly playing her Crimson Bass with nimbly dancing fingers.
"Holy crap, Eva! You were so cool on the bass! That slap technique... where did you learn that?"
"And Eillya... we never expected our class's Icy Maiden could sing like that. I got chills down to my bone!"
Praise after praise was heaped upon Eva. They were incredibly enthusiastic, yet when they glanced toward Eillya, who was still sitting quietly in the corner, their courage instantly shriveled. Eillya's cold charisma remained an effective barrier.
"Please tell Eillya her performance was amazing. We... we don't dare speak to her directly," one girl whispered to Eva, her face slightly flushed.
Eva only gave a small laugh, trying to balance the heating atmosphere. However, one question from a student made her smile falter slightly. "But wait... what's your actual relationship? Are you sure you only just met during that volleyball incident? Your synchronization on stage last night didn't look like people who've only known each other a week. The way you interact lately too... it feels like there's something deeper."
Eva paused. She knew that the truth about their past could be a double-edged sword in this competitive school environment. "It was just a coincidence that we both love music, so our frequencies connected quickly," Eva answered briefly in a casual tone, downplaying the depth of their bond to avoid entering private territory.
Meanwhile, in a quieter corner of the class, Kisa, who usually didn't interfere in popular cliques and preferred being an observer, walked toward Eillya's desk. She didn't bring a phone or an overly curious face.
"It seems you're the center of the universe this morning, Eillya," Kisa said, leaning her hand on the edge of Eillya's desk. Her voice was calm, contrasting with the noise in the center of the room.
Eillya glanced at Kisa briefly, then returned to her open but unread book. "Just people with too much time on their hands," she answered as needed, without a hint of malice, only pure indifference.
Eillya didn't particularly care whether they praised or gossiped about her. To her, last night's stage had provided enough satisfaction; the opinions of people who didn't understand the meaning of her "Beautiful World" were just background noise that wouldn't change anything.
Kisa only gave a thin smile, one that seemed to suggest she understood more than she said. "Well, at least the noise this time isn't because of bad news. Being famous for talent is much better than for a scandal. I'm heading back to my seat," Kisa said before walking away.
In the middle of the class, Eva was still busy parrying various questions while occasionally throwing a glance toward Eillya. She knew that starting today, their quiet life in Class 1-A of Rosendale High had officially ended, replaced by the resonance they had created themselves. Their identities as musicians were beginning to blur their identities as ordinary students.
The entrance bell rang loudly, cutting through the flurry of gossip still hanging in the air. Instantly, the atmosphere shifted. At Rosendale High, non-academic achievements might make you popular, but academic grades were what determined if you survived. The students returned to their seats, opened their textbooks, and prepared for a barrage of material demanding full focus.
Period after period passed with stiff precision. Eillya appeared submerged in her notes, her fingers moving nimbly as she wrote down formulas and theories, as if the majestic voice she unleashed last night had never existed. In another row, Eva also appeared serious, though she occasionally twirled her pen in a more relaxed manner. The level of competition at this academy was indeed cutthroat; a momentary lapse could send your rank plummeting. The topic of "Nameless" was intentionally suppressed for the sake of concentration.
Finally, the break bell rang.
Without a word, Eillya rose and stepped out of the classroom before the crowd of students could fill the hallway. She climbed the stairs to her favorite escape: the school rooftop.
As the heavy steel door swung open, a gust of fresh air immediately welcomed her. Eillya walked toward the perimeter fence, gazing at the clear Keiya sky. Here, she didn't have to be the center of attention or the subject of whispers.
Tap. Tap.
The sound of footsteps she knew all too well approached. Eva appeared from behind the door, her hair blowing slightly in the wind as she stepped to Eillya's side. Eva leaned her arms on the railing, staring at the city view below for a moment before turning to her friend.
"Illya," Eva called softly. "Are you going to keep hiding it?"
Eillya didn't turn; she kept staring straight at the horizon.
"I mean our relationship," Eva continued. "Your reputation at school has changed now. They no longer just see you as the cold Icy Maiden, but as someone incredibly talented. You don't have to worry... admitting we've been friends since childhood won't affect my name negatively. I don't care what they think about social hierarchies or anything like that."
Eillya remained silent for a long time, letting the wind carry Eva's words away. To her, hiding their bond wasn't because she was ashamed, but because she wanted to protect the small peace they had from the intrusion of strangers. However, she also knew how stubborn Eva could be when she wanted something.
"Do as you wish," Eillya answered shortly. "Do what you think is right."
A wide smile immediately broke across Eva's face. Her eyes sparkled with joy. "Alright then~! I'm free now! I don't have to pretend we just met when we pass each other in the corridor anymore," she said with obvious relief.
Eva then reached into her plastic bag and offered a chocolate-filled bun and a carton of strawberry milk to Eillya.
"Here," Eva said cheerily. "I bought extra on purpose. Don't tell me you forgot to eat again because you were too busy reading sheet music in your head."