Shadows of Identity

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It was one of those rare mornings when the alarm didn’t blare, no urgent missions came through, and the HQ apartment was filled with… domestic chaos.

Tee stumbled into the kitchen with a pen still stuck in his hair, holding a coffee mug he’d forgotten to fill. Dew was sitting on the counter—because chairs were apparently too mainstream—flipping through files like they were a morning magazine while poking at Tee’s side with his foot.

“Stop it,” Tee grumbled.

“You snore like a dying motorcycle,” Dew replied lazily.

“You talk in your sleep,” Tee shot back, snatching his mug back and jabbing it toward Dew’s face. “Something about—‘Tee, don’t go into the portal!’”

Dew choked. “I did not!”

“You did,” Junior called from the living room, where he was lying upside down on the couch with a headset. “I recorded it.”

Mark burst out laughing as he entered with a towel draped around his neck, hair dripping. “Send me the clip. That’s going in the archives.”

In the middle of it all, Nani stood stiffly by the counter, trying not to knock anything over as he stirred his tea. He smiled at the banter, but there was a tremble to it. They were slowly growing on him—these people. Their warmth, their chaos, the way they teased but protected each other.

And they had no idea he wasn’t MJ.

---

“Hey, MJ!”

Nani turned to see Sky walking in, hair slightly messy like he just rolled out of bed but still looking unfairly good. His eyes scanned the room once—until they landed on Nani.

He offered a soft smile.

“Did you sleep okay?” Sky asked, grabbing an apple from the counter.

Nani nodded, nervous. “Yeah, just a little sore.”

Sky paused, then walked closer, voice lowering. “You’ve been saying that a lot lately.”

“I’m still recovering…” Nani mumbled, but he knew the excuse was wearing thin.

Sky didn’t press. But something in his eyes softened—concern, quiet understanding, or maybe confusion he couldn’t voice.

---

Later that day, the team tried to get work done.

Tried.

Tee was yelling because Dew had reorganized the files “for better access,” which meant he couldn’t find anything. Junior and Mark had somehow ended up trapped under a collapsed evidence shelf because “Mark wanted to climb it,” and Nani found himself helping Dew pry them out while laughing nervously.

“Careful—ow!” Mark yelped. “My butt is a delicate structure!”

“You’re a grown man with glitter on your cheek,” Junior muttered, brushing dust off him.

“I was helping Tee with his art board! I didn’t know the glitter was industrial-grade!”

Nani stifled a laugh, genuinely amused. He felt... a little lighter. But only for a moment.

Because Tee stared at him afterward, brow furrowed. “Hey. MJ.”

“Hmm?”

“You ever gonna eat spicy noodles with us again, or is this new ‘no chili, no garlic’ thing permanent?”

“I—uh—guess I’m cutting down?” Nani offered weakly.

“You love that stuff,” Mark chimed in from the side. “It was, like, your entire diet.”

Dew tilted his head. “You also stopped humming when working. You always did that.”

“I…” Nani faltered.

They weren’t just watching—they were noticing.

---

That evening, he found himself in the gym. Not training—he wasn’t brave enough for that—but watching from the side as Junior and Tee sparred while Dew recorded and made sarcastic commentary.

He caught Sky watching him again. Not suspiciously. Just... like he was trying to solve something.

When Sky moved toward him, Nani’s chest tightened.

“Why aren’t you joining them?”

“I’m still rusty.”

“You were the fastest on the team,” Sky said simply.

Nani’s jaw tensed. “It’s nothing.”

Sky stood beside him, close enough to feel the heat of his arm.

“You know,” he said after a pause, “when I first met you, I thought you were arrogant. Confident to the point of being a pain.”

Nani laughed softly. “Ouch.”

“But now… you’re different. Warmer. Thoughtful. And you’ve stopped talking in metaphors, which is honestly suspicious.”

Nani looked at him, heart sinking.

“You say that like it’s a bad thing.”

Sky shook his head. “No. I just wonder what happened to you out there. Because... I think I like this version of you too.”

Nani froze.

Sky looked away, pretending to focus on Tee’s punch that nearly took Junior’s head off. But the words lingered, hanging in the air between them like a secret.

---

That night, Nani sat on the HQ rooftop alone.

The day had been filled with warmth, teasing, and laughter—but all it did was make the guilt worse.

These people trusted him. They confided in him, laughed with him, stood beside him.

And he wasn’t even himself.

He stared at the sky. His hands trembled.

I don’t belong here. I’m living someone else’s life. And Sky… if he ever finds out—

The door creaked open behind him.

He turned, startled, and saw Dew poke his head through.

“Hey,” Dew said, quieter than usual. “Tee made cocoa. You want some?”

Nani blinked, surprised. “Uh… sure.”

“Don’t stay up too long,” Dew added. “You look like your head’s gonna explode.”

Before Nani could answer, Dew vanished.

A few seconds later, Sky slipped through the door.

“I told him to go first. In case you were crying.”

“I wasn’t,” Nani said too fast.

Sky smiled. “Didn’t say you were.”

They stood in silence. Then Sky came closer, standing beside him again.

“You’re not alone, you know,” he said quietly.

Nani didn’t answer.

Because if he did—if he let himself fall—he wouldn’t be able to lie anymore.

And he wasn’t ready for the truth to destroy everything.

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