Kaito's fingers pressed rhythmically into TM Opera O's shoulders and neck, but the muscles under his fingertips were as tight as violin strings
"Your muscles are lying" Kaito said suddenly, his voice calm yet incisive.
"They tell me you haven't rested well in at least three days"
TM Opera O's eyelashes fluttered slightly, but she kept her eyes closed.
"My dear massagist, that is a hurtful thing to say, I enjoy eight hours of exquisite sleep every night"
"Sleeping is not the same as resting" Kaito's thumb pressed down on a particularly stiff knot.
"Especially when someone plays a role even while they sleep"
"Ah?"
TM Opera O finally opened her eyes, her purple gaze playful.
"It seems you know a lot about actors?"
"I understand the human body" Kaito changed his technique slowly.
"Muscles don't lie, the tension in your right trapezius indicates you've maintained a specific posture for a long time; for example, stage presence"
TM Opera O's smile hardened slightly.
"A very sharp observation, but what does that prove?"
"It proves that even when you're alone, you never fully take off your costume" Kaito's voice became deeper.
"Just like now, you clearly need to relax, but you're still worried that the 'TM Opera O' character will lose its composure"
"That is a bold conjecture"
TM Opera O's tone had a hint of coldness.
"What makes you so sure?"
"Just this"
Kaito gently took her left hand, which was resting on the armrest, and his fingertips lightly brushed her ring finger, which was twitching unconsciously.
"Your body is much more honest than your mouth"
This touch made TM Opera O tremble.
She wanted to pull her hand away, but Kaito held it gently yet firmly.
"Look, even with such a subtle touch, your first reaction is to defend yourself" Kaito said, looking her directly in the eyes.
"On stage, you need to maintain your distance. But here, you don't"
TM Opera O turned her face away.
"You speak as if you know me very well"
"I don't need to know everything about you" Kaito began to gently massage her palm with his thumb.
"I only need to know that the person in front of me is not an actor who needs to please the audience, but someone who needs to heal"
These words silenced TM Opera O.
She felt the warmth of his palm and, for the first time, did not immediately respond with a line.
"You know" she said suddenly in a low voice, "some people say that TM Opera O disappears as soon as she steps off the stage"
"And if the stage itself were in your heart?" Kaito replied.
"Do you plan on not letting anyone call you to the stage?"
The sharpness of this question took TM Opera O by surprise.
She opened her mouth, but couldn't find the right answer.
Kaito observed her reaction and his tone softened.
"Try to close your eyes, not as TM Opera O, but as a tired person"
Unexpectedly, TM Opera O obeyed.
This time, the fluttering of her eyelids was less deliberate.
"Breathe slower" Kaito instructed her.
"Imagine you are taking off a costume you've been wearing for far too long"
As he spoke, Kaito felt the muscles under his fingers finally begin to relax completely.
It wasn't a performance, but a real and gradual relaxation.
"Strange..." murmured TM Opera O, "This feeling... is unfamiliar"
"Because it's real" Kaito smiled.
"And reality often demands more courage than acting"
TM Opera O did not reply.
After a long silence, she said in a very low voice.
"Perhaps... you can teach me to distinguish between the two"
The words were almost inaudible, but for TM Opera O, it was an unprecedented beginning.
Kaito nodded and continued his work.
He knew it wasn't just a massage session, but the starting point of a long journey to help her find herself.
And today, finally, he saw the first ray of light through a crack.