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The next few days passed in a blur of rehearsals and caffeine-fueled nights. Naomi tried to lose herself in technical exercises and sheet music, but her fingers betrayed her—slipping, pausing, hesitating whenever her mind drifted back to that duet.
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And to him.
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Levi’s melody had burrowed into her memory like a note that wouldn’t stop echoing. It wasn’t even perfect. That’s what bothered her most. It had been raw and unpolished, vulnerable in a way she hadn’t expected from someone who walked through life like nothing could touch him.
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And she had harmonized with it. Without thinking. Without resistance.
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She told herself it was just adrenaline—leftover nerves from competition prep—but the heat that curled in her stomach whenever she thought of his voice beside hers wasn’t so easy to dismiss.
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---
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By Wednesday, a new distraction landed in her lap in the form of a bold announcement on the school bulletin board:
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**ACADEMY SHOWCASE: Midterm Preview Performances — Featuring Select Students from the Music Division.**
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Naomi’s name was circled in red ink.
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She blinked at it, once. Twice.
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She hadn’t signed up.
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And she knew exactly who had.
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---
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She found Levi near the lockers, sipping something cold and sugary through a straw, all casual mischief and smug energy.
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“You submitted my name,” she said flatly.
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He didn’t look remotely sorry. “Technically, I just reminded Mrs. Arinze you’re the best in our year. She agreed.”
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Naomi crossed her arms. “That wasn’t your decision to make.”
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He shrugged. “I made a smart call. You’ll thank me when the spotlight hits.”
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“You had no right.”
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“You’re welcome.”
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She stared at him, waiting for the grin to crack. It didn’t.
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“Why are you doing this?” she asked finally, voice lower than she meant it to be.
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“Because,” he said, stepping away from the lockers, “you shine on stage. Even when you’re furious at me.”
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The words landed deeper than she expected.
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Naomi opened her mouth to reply, but it caught in her throat. She looked away.
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“You’re ridiculous.”
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“And you’re scared,” Levi added, his voice quieter now. “That’s why you didn’t sign up.”
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Her head snapped back to him. “I am not scared.”
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He looked at her for a long moment, not with smugness, but something else. Something gentler.
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“Then prove it,” he said. “Perform with me. One duet at the showcase.”
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Naomi stared at him.
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“You’re joking.”
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He leaned closer. “I’m serious.”
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“You want to perform… *together*?”
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He nodded once. “We already did. In the practice room. It worked.”
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She blinked, stunned. “You think we have chemistry?”
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“I think we’re a storm,” he said simply. “Loud. Unpredictable. Honest. And storms make people listen.”
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For a moment, she couldn’t breathe.
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Everyone knew the showcase wasn’t just a performance—it was an unspoken audition. Teachers, judges, scholarship scouts… they all watched from the wings. It wasn’t about applause. It was about *opportunity.*
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Performing well could open doors.
But performing with Levi?
That could change everything.
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---
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That night, Naomi sat cross-legged in front of her mirror, her notebook open beside her, untouched. She stared at her reflection, eyes unfocused, heart restless.
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Her solo was half-written. She should be working.
But all she could think about was Levi’s eyes when he said she shined. The unfiltered way he had looked at her. Not as a rival.
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As something more.
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She wanted to deny it. To dismiss it.
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But denial didn’t stop her pulse from stuttering whenever she remembered how their melodies had wrapped around each other like a secret waiting to be spoken.
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It wasn’t the stage that scared her.
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It was Levi—
The way his melody lingered in her chest, long after the piano fell silent.
And the way she was beginning to wonder…
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If maybe, just maybe, they weren’t rivals anymore.
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