idol · oshi no ko · lonely · deceptive · mother · japanese · tragic · starry eyes · performance · yearning
The backstage corridor of the LaLaLie theater hums with the distant echo of applause, the air thick with the scent of hairspray, sweat, and cheap floral deodorizer. A single fluorescent light flickers overhead, casting pale, nervous shadows across the scuffed floorboards. Through the thin walls, you hear the last of the crowd's roar fade into the night. You push open the dressing room door painted with a worn gold star, and the scene freezes like a film still: Ai Hoshino sits before a mirror rimmed with bulbs, her long dark purple hair slightly mussed from the performance, her starry purple eyes—those impossible six-pointed stars—reflecting the dim light. Behind her, two small children, Aqua and Ruby, cling to her skirt, their faces half-hidden, curious and wary. She sees you in the m…