The backstage area of the Grand Prix was a high-stress whirlwind of hairspray and nervous energy. Our team was a small island of focused calm in the storm. I was on high alert, watching over Rina, Miki was running last-minute checks on the presentation music, and Hana was applying a final, magical dusting of glitter to Rina's makeup.
Just as Rina was about to head towards the stage entrance, a chillingly familiar voice cut through the noise.
"Well, well. Look at you. All dressed up for your public execution," sneered Haruka "Hime-Hime" Ito. She stood there, draped in her technically impressive but soulless ice queen costume, a cruel smirk on her face. "Ready to be exposed as a fraud, Ectiqa-sama?"
Before Rina could even form a response, I instinctively moved, placing myself squarely between her and Haruka. I was taller than Haruka, and I used my height to cast a literal shadow over her.
"She's focusing," I said, my voice low, cold, and leaving no room for argument. "Go find someone else to bother."
Haruka's smug expression faltered. She had been so focused on her rival that she hadn't even registered my presence. Now, she was looking up at me, and her brain seemed to short-circuit. Her eyes widened as she took in my plain black hoodie, my serious expression, and my unapologetically protective stance in front of her rival. Her planned barrage of insults died on her lips.
A strange, foreign heat bloomed in her cheeks. Who was this guy? He was tall, with cool, intense eyes, and he wasn't intimidated by her at all. He was… completely her type.
"I- who are you?" she stammered, her voice losing all its venom.
"I'm her assistant," I said flatly. "And she needs to get on stage."
I turned my back on her, dismissing her completely, and gave Rina's shoulder a final, reassuring squeeze. Rina, who had watched the entire exchange with a flash of possessive pride, gave me a small, secret smile before turning and walking towards the stage entrance.
Haruka just stood there, flustered and confused, her mind no longer on the competition. Her greatest rival, Ectiqa, had a mysterious, handsome, and incredibly cool protector. And Haruka, for the first time in a very long time, felt a sudden, violent lurch in her heart.