Chad stammered, caught off guard by her towering intensity. "I… I… "
Seraphina's grip tightened on his shirt, lifting him clean off the floor, his sneakers swinging inches above the ground. Her words rumbled like warning thunder, heat burning in every syllable. "No. Bullshit. Answers. You either mean it, or you're a liar. A coward. You can't love your pillow waifu and then toss her away like she means nothing."
"I… didn't… give up my waifu…" He wheezed, Seraphina's fist crushing into his ribs until his lungs barely worked. His voice scraped out in broken, breath-starved pieces. "Elise is my waifu… Look at her—look at her properly—she's the d-doppelgänger of my Alixia… my waifu… the same stare, the same fringe, the same everything…"
He sucked in a shaking breath, her fist lifting him higher.
"She's like… like the 3D version I always dreamed she'd be… Not just a pillow I could hold… but her. A real her. A living, breathing Alixia… right here…"
Seraphina froze. Her grip loosened slightly as she slowly lowered Chad back down. Her eyes flicked to Elise and back to him, her voice softer but still edged with heat. "So, what are you saying? That Elise looks like your waifu?"
"No… she IS my waifu."
Fierce, unyielding eyes—Seraphina's—snapped to Elise, really looking now. Her breath caught, and her massive frame sagged just a fraction, muscles uncoiling as awe softened the glare into a warm, wide-eyed glow.
"Wait… her eyes… that fringe… Holy shit. You're Alixia." Her voice warmed, a rare smile breaking through as her hand dropped to her hip. She leaned in closer, reverent. "From The Seraphim Protocol. The real-life version? No wonder he chose you—you're her."
All the other girls just stared at Elise.
For a heartbeat, no one moved. Then the air seemed to shift—the girls all drew in tiny, almost imperceptible breaths, eyes widening, hands fidgeting, mouths parting as if they wanted to speak but weren't sure how. The stairwell vibrated with tension, like it was holding its breath along with them. One by one, they leaned forward, turned slightly, and adjusted grips on bags or cans, each frozen on the edge of reaction. All of them were about to speak at once, caught in the same awe, the same sudden, unspoken recognition.
Vee's soda teetered, then sloshed over the edge as she leaned forward, mouth slightly open, mini skirt forgotten. "No way… it's her! That waifu… she's gorgeous. No way we can compete with a real-life anime girl."
Nervously, Lia twitched, then relaxed as her frown softened into a hesitant smile. "We… we bow down, honestly. She deserves him. Look at her… she's perfect."
Bibi dropped her arms, hands flying to cover her mouth as she stepped closer. "I… I can't believe it. The Seraphim Protocol… made me cry. That scene with Kage… and now she's real, right here." Shaking her head, she whispered, "I'm… I'm actually happy for you, Elise. You earned him."
A sharp twitch of Ava's bunny ears drew attention; they were nearly vertical, and her eyes were shining as she leaned in closer. "Look at her… the mole, that sharp edge in her gaze… It's Alixia, the Protocol star. How did we miss it? Baggy tees hid the queen." Glancing at Chad, then back at Elise, her breath hitched. "You're… You're radiant. Both of you."
Frozen mid-step, Kerry's tank top stretched slightly over her chest, eyes riveted. "Her eyes… that look… She's literally stepped out of 2D. The anime girl in 3D…" Her voice softened, awe threading through it. "It's unreal."
Damp silver hair clung to Marissa's face as she leaned closer to Jezabelle, whispering, "That glare… the rooftop confession with her trainer… exactly that same insane glare. She's got it. Right there."
Jezabelle's jaw went slack, eyes wide as she shook her head. "Freaking unreal… She's stepped right out of the show. Marissa… I can't even… It's like watching the episode live."
Bending down to pick up her spilt soda, Vee held it mid-air, speechless for a beat. "She… she even has that aura. That… thing that makes everyone freeze. She's not just the character—she's the whole damn series, right here."
A soft giggle escaped Bibi as she nudged Ava. "We… we can't compete with this… no matter how big our boobs are."
Ears twitching again, Ava's gaze stayed fixed, whispering, "I just want to hug her and tell her everything is alright."
Adjusting her hair, Marissa peered closer at Elise, her voice almost reverent. "And that glare… It's not just intense; it's commanding. Like the scene where she finally tells her trainer everything… all her heart, all her fear… she's living it now."
Leaning on her friend, Jezabelle's eyes stayed wide. "I can't… I can't even process it. She's not just a girl in a T-shirt. She's… she's Alixia, real and breathing. Freaking unreal."
Elise's shadows stilled. The stares pierced but no longer threatened—more like spotlights, wonder replacing jealousy. She squeezed Chad's hand, whispering only to him, "They think… I'm Alixia."
Tugging her closer, Chad grounded her. "You're better than Alixia," he murmured. She leaned into him, heart hammering, the stairwell buzzing with stunned reverence around them.
The rest of the girls froze, eyes wide, jaws slack, mouths opening and closing without a sound. Their hands twitched; some clutched at chests, others hung uselessly by their sides. Not a word came out—just stunned, silent awe.
The hush broke as Kerry yanked the wig on, fringe peeking out goth-style, and the girls gasped—
A squeak escaped Luna. "It's her now!"
Vee whispered, "Sis, she's even prettier."
Nodding, Seraphina said, "Queenshit."
Chad looked at Elise, now without her goth hair but with pink hair—exactly like Alixia's from the anime.