As the heaviness in the air slowly lifted, so did Benimaru's spirit.
For the first time since his sister's passing...
He smiled.
Not the small, polite smile he'd been forcing over the holiday break.
Not the fragile smile he'd worn only moments ago.
But his smile.
The one his friends had come to know.
The one that could brighten an entire room.
And, dear readers...
Allow me to remind you.
Benimaru is the textbook definition of an ikemen.
To borrow the immortal words of a certain salaryman who got reincarnated as an adorable blue slime...
"What a dreamboat."
The smile alone was enough to send hearts skipping beats all over again.
The cameras practically adored him.
The trainees couldn't help but smile back.
Truly...
He embodied the spirit of a certified malewife.
Seeing that the atmosphere had finally recovered, Cat did what only an exceptional survival show host could do.
She seized the moment.
Firmly.
By the neck.
With the ease of someone who had been doing this for years.
"Now then..."
She clasped her hands together with a grin.
"The finale is almost upon us."
A murmur of excitement rippled through the trainees.
"It's so close..."
"...I bet you can practically smell it in the air."
The trainees laughed.
Their anticipation was beginning to bubble over once again.
"And of course..."
Cat's smile widened.
"We can't have a LEAVEN finale without the brilliant minds who helped bring this entire journey to life."
The moment those words left her lips...
The trainees exploded into cheers.
"They're back!"
"No way!"
"I've been waiting for this!"
Cat laughed at their enthusiasm.
"Please welcome..."
She swept an elegant arm toward the Jenga Tower.
"...the queen..."
"...the visionary..."
"...the ever fabulous..."
"Tuesday Summers!"
The doors opened.
And out walked Tuesday.
No...
She arrived.
She glided down the pathway as though she were opening Paris Fashion Week itself.
The island sun kissed her rich ebony skin, making it glow with breathtaking radiance.
Her flowing tangerine sundress danced gently in the ocean breeze, effortless yet impossibly elegant.
She looked like summer had decided to become a person.
Easy.
Breezy.
Beautiful.
CoverGirl.
(If you understood that reference... congratulations. Your back probably makes mysterious noises when you stand up too. Welcome to the club. Yes, that means you old! 🤭)
The trainees erupted.
"Ladies and gentlemen..."
One trainee dramatically placed a hand over his heart.
"I'm looking respectfully."
Another pointed toward the stage.
"How is she even more beautiful than last time?!"
"I'm in love!"
someone sighed dreamily.
Jeremiah was already living his best life.
"PERIOOOOD!"
He threw both hands into the air, serving the most immaculate stank face known to mankind.
"When Mother serves..." he declared dramatically, "you stand up."
Tuesday couldn't help but laugh.
She made her way toward Cat, the two greeting each other with effortless air kisses.
"Hey, gorgeous."
Tuesday smiled.
"Looking stunning as always."
Cat chuckled.
"Coming from you? I'll gladly take the compliment."
She gave Tuesday an appreciative once-over.
"And you're making the sun work overtime today."
Tuesday flashed a grin before finally turning toward the trainees.
She spread her arms wide.
"So..."
A playful smile tugged at her lips.
"Did y'all miss me?"
The answer came instantly.
"ABSOLUTELY!"
"YES, QUEEN!"
"We missed you!"
"Welcome back!"
The chorus of voices echoed across the island.
Tuesday placed a hand dramatically over her heart.
"Awww..."
She laughed.
"Y'all know exactly how to make a girl feel loved."
The cheers only grew louder.
And just like that...
The unmistakable energy of LEAVEN had returned.
****
"Ahhh!"
Tuesday stretched her arms wide, taking in the island air with a delighted sigh.
"It feels so good to be back!"
The trainees cheered.
She looked across the sea of familiar faces before placing a hand dramatically over her heart.
"Especially when I'm blessed with this many fine-looking people."
The trainees immediately burst into laughter.
"What?" Tuesday asked innocently, looking around as if she'd said nothing outrageous.
"I'm just being honest, y'all."
She shrugged.
"Let's be real."
"I'm a fan first..."
"...before I'm whatever my job title is."
That simple confession earned warm smiles throughout the crowd.
Because everyone knew...
She meant every word.
Tuesday had always been one of their biggest cheerleaders.
Yes...
Her critiques could absolutely rip a person apart.
She never sugarcoated anything.
If your performance lacked emotion...
She'd tell you.
If your dancing was stiff...
She'd tell you.
If your vocals needed work...
Believe me.
She'd definitely tell you.
But there was never cruelty behind her words.
Only sincerity.
Tuesday never tore people down simply to watch them fall.
She broke them apart...
Only so they could rebuild themselves stronger than before.
Some trainees couldn't handle that honesty.
Their pride cracked.
Their egos bruised.
They left the competition.
But the ones who swallowed that bitter medicine...
Who accepted every critique and turned it into fuel...
They were the very same people standing here now.
Just one step away from the finale.
Cat smiled knowingly before taking over once more.
"And now..."
Her grin widened.
"Our next guest hardly needs an introduction."
The trainees were already beginning to cheer.
"You know him."
"I know him."
"I think the entire internet knows him."
She extended an elegant arm toward the Jenga Tower.
"Please welcome..."
"...the ever charming..."
"...the incomparable virtuoso..."
"Luca Giovanni!"
The island exploded.
The cheers were deafening.
"LUCAAAA!"
"LET'S GOOOO!"
"OUR DIRECTOR!"
The doors opened.
And out stepped Luca.
Looking...
Ridiculously fresh.
He wore a crisp button-down shirt with the first three buttons casually undone, revealing just enough to make hearts skip a beat without trying too hard.
Tailored trousers hugged his long legs perfectly.
On his feet were a pair of slip-on sneakers that were almost certainly from some absurdly exclusive limited collection.
The kind that collectors would willingly commit financial crimes over.
Then...
Right on cue...
A gentle sea breeze swept across the island.
It brushed through Luca's dirty blonde hair so perfectly it almost looked choreographed.
Seriously.
Someone give the wind a paycheck.
That breeze has been carrying this show since Episode One.
Paid actor.
Your Honor.
Luca chuckled as the cheering slowly settled.
He slipped one hand into his pocket, flashing the effortless smirk that had become his trademark.
"So..."
He glanced across the trainees.
"Who's ready for the finale?"
The answer came in one thunderous roar.
"WE ARE!"
Luca laughed.
"That's what I like to hear."
He then turned toward Cat.
"Cat."
He leaned in, greeting her with the customary Italian air kisses.
"Beautiful as always."
Cat returned the greeting with a smile just as warm.
"And you..."
She looked him up and down dramatically.
"...are as dashing as ever."
The trainees immediately began hollering again.
"GET A ROOM!"
Jeremiah yelled from somewhere in the crowd.
Cat burst into laughter.
"I walked right into that one, didn't I?"
Even Luca couldn't help but shake his head with an amused smile as the trainees continued teasing them.
****
Despite all the teasing, the trainees held nothing but immense respect for Luca.
They were comfortable around him.
Comfortable enough to joke.
Comfortable enough to laugh.
But never comfortable enough to forget who he was.
As a director, Luca had guided countless trainees through some of the biggest performances of their lives.
He taught them how to command a stage.
How to work a camera.
How to let silence speak louder than choreography.
When to hold back.
When to explode with emotion.
How to make thousands of people feel something with a single glance.
In many ways...
Luca had helped shape every trainee standing before him.
Many of them wouldn't have reached the finale without his guidance.
He truly had earned every ounce of their respect.
Luca looked over the trainees before casually slipping a hand into his pocket.
"You know..."
He shrugged with that trademark smirk.
"I'd appreciate all the shipping..."
"...but I'm very much taken."
A collective gasp swept across the island.
Luca smiled wider.
"In fact..."
He glanced toward the Jenga Tower.
"...he's coming out next."
The trainees immediately erupted.
"No way!"
"It's him!"
"I knew it!"
Cat laughed as she stepped forward once more.
"And now..."
She grinned.
"Please give an enormous round of applause for the man who turned this entire dream into reality..."
"The creator of LEAVEN..."
"And my partner," Luca casually added.
Smack!
Tuesday promptly swatted his arm.
"Ow!"
Luca rubbed his shoulder dramatically.
Tuesday pointed a finger at him.
"Stop ruining the buildup..."
"...or I'll ruin you."
Then, as though nothing had happened, she turned toward Cat with the brightest smile imaginable.
"Please continue."
The trainees burst into laughter.
"Yep..."
"They never change."
"I missed this."
"I swear, they're like siblings."
"No..."
Another trainee sighed dreamily.
"I aspire to have friendships like theirs."
Cat pinched the bridge of her nose, trying not to laugh herself.
After composing herself, she smiled brightly.
"Everyone..."
"Please welcome..."
"...Focaccia!"
The island exploded.
Cheers thundered across the shoreline as Foca stepped out from the Jenga Tower.
Unlike Luca's effortlessly stylish entrance...
Foca looked wonderfully comfortable.
A neatly buttoned shirt.
A soft cotton cardigan draped over it.
Tailored trousers.
His signature loafers.
His long hair tied into the messy bun everyone had grown to love.
And perched upon his nose...
Those unmistakable gilded spectacles.
Yes.
Those frames were trimmed with actual gold.
No.
He wasn't trying to flex.
That's just... Foca.
He reached center stage before offering everyone the warmest smile imaginable.
"It's wonderful to see all of you again."
That smile alone was enough to soften countless hearts.
Then...
Somewhere among the trainees...
Someone suddenly shouted,
"One!"
Another voice followed.
"Two!"
A third.
"Three!"
And then...
The entire group roared in perfect unison.
"IN SIR FOCA WE TRUST!"
The chant rolled across the island like thunder.
Birds scattered from nearby trees.
Even the camera crew looked ready to join in.
Cat doubled over trying not to laugh.
Tuesday was already clutching her stomach.
Luca simply buried his face in one hand.
Foca...
Stood completely frozen.
He genuinely couldn't decide whether to feel deeply honored...
...or profoundly disturbed.
Somehow...
Over the course of LEAVEN, that phrase had evolved into both a running joke...
...and a full-fledged superstition.
Whenever a trainee felt nervous before a performance...
"In Sir Foca We Trust."
Forgot choreography?
"In Sir Foca We Trust."
Bad hair day?
"In Sir Foca We Trust."
Accidentally wore mismatched socks?
"In Sir Foca We Trust."
At this point, people were treating it less like a slogan...
...and more like an ancient blessing.
Foca opened his mouth, fully intending to tell everyone to stop.
Then he looked at their smiling faces.
Saw the excitement in their eyes.
And quietly decided...
...to let it go.
Because beneath the meme...
...there was something genuine.
From the very beginning, Foca had stood behind every trainee.
He never abandoned them.
Never belittled them.
Never gave up on them.
He didn't only teach them music.
Or dancing.
Or performance.
He taught them resilience.
Integrity.
Kindness.
Discipline.
How to become better artists...
...and better people.
To many of them...
He wasn't just a mentor.
He was a teacher.
The kind whose lessons stayed with you long after class was over.
Foca turned toward Cat with a grateful smile.
"Cat."
He inclined his head politely.
"It's always a pleasure working alongside you."
"The pleasure is mine, Sir."
Cat returned the smile warmly.
Finally, Foca looked back at the trainees.
His expression softened.
"Everyone..."
"I want to begin by thanking each and every one of you."
He paused, letting his words settle.
"Thank you..."
"...for trusting us."
"For trusting us with something as precious as your dreams."
His gaze slowly swept across every familiar face.
"When you first arrived..."
"...each of you carried only the possibility of what you could become."
"You entrusted us with helping you grow."
A gentle smile appeared.
"And now..."
He looked at them with unmistakable pride.
"I no longer see seeds."
"I see a garden in full bloom."
Some trainees instinctively smiled.
Others were already growing emotional.
"I've watched timid caterpillars..."
"...become magnificent butterflies."
"It hasn't been easy."
"There were victories."
"There were setbacks."
"There were tears."
"There was frustration."
"But through your hard work..."
"...your passion..."
"...your discipline..."
"...and your unwavering determination..."
"You've become artists worthy of standing on this stage."
He gestured toward himself, Luca, and Tuesday.
"I speak not only for myself..."
"...but for all three of us."
His smile grew even warmer.
"We are..."
"...so incredibly proud of every single one of you."
For a heartbeat...
Silence.
Then the island erupted into deafening applause and cheers once more.