Once, two souls, each adrift in their own storm, found themselves bound together. A knot in the thread of fate that neither could have tied alone.

For Leo, the stage was everything. It was where he came alive—but also where he fell apart.

Performing gave him joy, purpose, and meaning, but it also exposed his deepest flawed beliefs, a constant pull toward the light even as shadows loomed. Every spotlight felt like a battle. And when he faced a crushing defeat, one that shattered his ideals—Checkmate—he was left questioning everything: his music, his beliefs, even his place in the world.

Was he really meant for this? Could he still belong in a world he once believed was his?

He began to realize that chasing noble dreams wasn't enough, not when he tried to shoulder the weight of everyone’s expectations. Piece by piece, he unraveled, finally confronting fears he’d buried for too long.

Maru’s path wasn’t so different. She too was searching, for a way out, something to hold on to. Her love for art, once her sanctuary, had been tainted by grief, pressure, and a fractured sense of self. Losing role models, enduring bullying, family tensions, even having her name changed—each blow left her a little more unsure of who she was.

Still, she held on to the hope that something better was out there. That someone might still see her. And someone did—Leo. His music reached her when nothing else could. His performance lit a fire in her that made her want to lift her head again.

So, she stayed. Even after Leo was gone, she stayed—for herself, and for Knights. Supporting them gave her a reason to keep going. Maybe, by helping them shine, she could find her own light again. She didn’t know when, or if, Leo would return, but she believed in him, even through uncertainty.

Knights didn’t just wait for Leo in silence—they reached out. They reminded him that no matter how far he wandered, he would always have a home with them. They shattered his fears of being replaced or forgotten. And Maru was there too—not just waiting, but standing by him, trying to be strong, even when she was still struggling herself.

In the warmth of that loyalty, Leo finally saw what he’d been missing.

"I love Knights who gathered my broken pieces and breathed life into me again."

He had spent so long rejecting himself, drowning in regret and guilt. But slowly, with their support, he began to accept who he was. He stopped running from the past and started walking toward a shared dream. And in that moment of clarity—so this is what it feels like epiphany, he thought—to be whole again.

Even the walls around his heart began to crumble. That long-shut door finally opened, not from force, but from someone knocking, again and again, out of pure concern. People who loves him enough to wait. Also, someone who was once just a fan in the audience, now standing beside him. Maru.

“You know what? Crowns are cool! But also daaarrn heavy as sin that sometimes you wanna just yeet the whole thing off your head before it snaps your neck in half! Wahaha☆”

“Not just the king who carries that weight. The people who stand behind him, they carry it too. Every step they take, every time they choose to stay... it stacks, it sinks, it strains.”

“That’s why… I won’t let just anyone stand beside me. I choose. I decide who gets to walk with me, who’s strong enough to hold that weight without breaking. My comrades. My loves.”

“...And if you're gonna stay by my side, I wanna make sure you won’t crumble under it. ‘Cause I’ve done that before—dragged people down with me without even knowing. I won’t make that mistake again.”

Someone adored and acknowledged him to that extent, allowing him to dream, once more, not just for himself but through another person's lens. Maru.

Leo knew he couldn’t let Maru down.

After she poured her heart out, he felt it was his turn to help her find her self-worth—not defined by her family’s name or expectations, but by who she truly was and what she chose to become. He wanted her to see that she was born for great things and could choose her own path, just as she had helped him.

"You were born to great things you choose who you are.”

He returned her love not just in words, but in music overflowing with emotions she helped draw out. On her side, Maru designed the stage sets that allowed Leo’s songs, and Knights’ stories, to come to life. Through her work as scenographer, she helped them shine, and began to shine herself.

Later, she became Leo’s album illustrator too. Her art didn’t just accompany his music—it amplified it, giving his songs a visual soul. He adored her talent, reminded her that Knights wouldn’t be complete without her. He proudly promoted her work, not just as a partner, but as someone who believed in her unconditionally.

They weren’t just senpai and kouhai, musician and artist, or even idol and fan.

They were two people who had saved each other. Who gave each other the courage to dream again. Who became the place to come back to.