Steph-Hearthlight
Kyoko Mogami is ready to move forward. She has come to terms with her feelings and set her sights on a new goal: becoming Japan's top actress and proving herself worthy of standing by Ren Tsuruga's side.
But there's one problem.
She doesn't quite know how to take the next step.
Hikaru Kamiki is broken. Recently adopted by a loving couple, he tries his best to be the perfect son and older brother-but a part of him still wants to hurt the woman who shattered his heart, the same woman he can't stop loving.
Despite his pain, he strives to live up to expectations, to protect the family that took him in. After all, he's an extraordinary actor. Yet deep down, he longs for a love that's real, not built on lies.
Fate has other plans. Their paths cross in unexpected ways, bringing something neither of them anticipated:
Friendship.
Can the bond between them be strong enough to heal Hikaru and help Kyoko rise higher than she ever dreamed?
"One day, love said to friendship, 'Why are you here, when I exist?' And friendship replied, 'Because where you leave a tear, I leave a smile.'"