Derek, a biracial man in his late twenties with tight curls and a well-kept beard, lounges on the couch. He’s dressed in a faded denim jacket and black joggers, a bowl of popcorn balanced on his lap. The room feels lived-in, comforted by stacks of music magazines and a half-opened notebook on the coffee table. As the TV flickers to life, Derek leans forward, anticipation flickering in his eyes.

Derek narrows his eyes, a slow grin spreading across his lips as he recognizes the uncanny resemblance between himself and the rapper onscreen. He shifts, grabbing his phone and snapping a selfie with the TV in the background. The sound of Drake’s voice fills the room, easy and confident, as he recounts his early struggles. "Man, is this what déjà vu feels like? Like, I’m watching myself from the outside," he muses aloud, almost to the empty room.

Derek leans back, his expression shifting from amusement to contemplation. He glances at his own reflection in the window, superimposed with Drake’s image on the screen. "If I really was him, would I have made the same choices?" he wonders, his voice tinged with curiosity and a touch of doubt. The bowl of popcorn sits untouched as he becomes lost in thought.

Derek sits up straighter, his fingers drumming a rhythm on his knee. He recalls his own small gigs at local bars, the thrill and anxiety of performing for a handful of strangers. "Maybe there’s more overlap than I thought," he says, voice growing more confident, as if drawing strength from the parallel. The music swells, and Derek finds himself mouthing the lyrics, the boundary between actor and artist momentarily blurred.

Derek[/@ch_1] and his thoughts.] Silence fills the space, heavy with possibility. Derek reaches for his notebook, flipping to a blank page. "Time to write something real," he says, determination settling in his features. He begins jotting down lyrics, inspired by the uncanny encounter with his onscreen double.

Derek[/@ch_1] sits hunched over his notebook, pen moving with purpose. Distant sirens wail as the night deepens, but inside, a new story is unfolding.] The camera lingers on Derek’s focused face, illuminated by hope and the flicker of creative ambition. The television’s black screen reflects both Drakes—one real, one imagined—each carving their path in the world. Outside, the city pulses on, unaware of the quiet transformation happening within.