ShuangLi
"We started as rivals, pretended to be lovers... and somewhere in between, I forgot which part was fake. I hate that I love you. I hate that it was so natural that I didn't realize till too late."
Celeste and Junhao have been stuck together since kindergarten, not by choice, but because their parents are best friends. Unfortunately, Celeste and Junhao are... not. She grew up in ballet studios, chasing perfection. He grew up behind a piano, winning every competition he entered. They've spent their whole lives trying to outdo each other, and everyone at the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School knows it.
Now they're seniors, and Celeste's dream, Juilliard, is hanging by a thread. She got waitlisted for early acceptance. Suddenly, everything depends on one performance: the senior showcase duet. And one of the judges? The legendary dancer Fei Liang as well as Juilliard's very own Ballet Chair. The same woman who told Celeste she was talented but danced with no emotion at her audition...
To impress her, Celeste needs a pianist who can play the score like his life depends on it. Only problem? Her original partner bailed to play for someone else. And of course, the only person left is Junhao.
With an early acceptance for Juilliard, Junhao didn't need it as much as her. However, he agrees to help... if Celeste pretends to date him.
Because he's hopelessly into Arianna Ashford, Celeste's other archnemesis, and thinks a fake relationship will finally get Arianna's attention.
Celeste wants to scream.
But she wants the showcase more.
So, they strike a deal. Fake smiles. Fake hand holding. Fake dating. Real tension.
But rehearsing together every day starts to feel different. Their rivalry shifts into something neither of them knows how to handle. And when Arianna finally notices Junhao, Celeste realizes she might've made the biggest mistake of her life. Because somewhere between the late‑night practices and the fake dating...
She stopped pretending.