27: The Somebody and the Nobody part 2

Ashmille was alarmed because of what she heard. Her parents retired, and she’s supporting herself independently. Her company is in danger of losing employees, which might include her.

She needs a backup job in case she is one of the lucky selected fellows. She suddenly thought of updating her resume first before starting her job hunt. She’s been working there for three years. It was ample time and experience to hop onto the next company.

“Argh, what bad news for us.”

“How did you know about it?”

“I overheard Ma’am Janeth’s conversation with the HR. It was a tough decision, but they already had the list of the employees. I hope I am not fortunate to be included on that list!” she murmured sarcastically. “Whatever happens, Ashmille. Let us support each other’s journey.”

“Okay, sure.”

“I will still support you whether you stay here or not. And do the same with me, please?”

“No problem”

“Ah, dang it! I think I couldn’t take it if it were me.”

Feviah’s anxious because she just started working there, and finding a new one won’t be easy like finding a restaurant to eat. She even asked a relative to live with them who lives one public ride away from their office.

Feviah turned her phone on and started doomscrolling on social media to distract herself for a while.

“Speaking of problems… Drino is also facing career challenges! It’s like we’re soulmates.”

“Huh? Drino?” Ashmille’s ears alerted.

“Yes, the influencer that I’ve been following.”

“What challenges does he face?”

She hasn’t checked her social media for a while after meeting Drino again. Because now that she has seen him face-to-face, it is more than enough that she does not need to be updated about every aspect of his life.

“The Drino app has several complaints. There have been several reports of scams where drivers using the app rob their passengers. They will detour the passenger, stop at an unknown place far from the drop-off location, and threaten them with a knife or a gun to surrender their money and phones if they don’t want to get killed. After that, they will drive away and leave the passenger behind.”

“That’s horrible.”

“It is. Because of these reported incidents, many customers are uninstalling the app and returning to old but more trusted apps. If this continues to happen, Drino’s company might be forced to close and be charged if the victims file cases.”

Ashmille is dismayed by Drino’s struggles.

“Argh! Even Drino, a handsome, famous, and rich man, is facing drawbacks. I thought only commoners like us are prone to problems. But compared to us, his problem is way worse.”

Ashmille was completely unaware of the significant challenges Drino was facing. When they met, he appeared as his usual cheerful self, speaking with optimism and energy. However, she was puzzled by his apparent increase in happiness despite his serious business troubles. She wondered if it was common for influencers to maintain a facade of happiness despite their struggles.

His situation disturbed her so much that she forgot about her own problem of losing her job. Not only can his business go bankrupt, but also his brand and image can be destroyed.

Ashmille was contemplating for three days whether to sign the contract Drino had sent her. With the fear of losing her current job and thinking about Drino’s business crisis, it would be better not to lose this unusual opportunity. This might also help Drino to maintain his good reputation if his fans were to watch him in a romcom film as a skilled newbie actor. They would only conduct five more dates, which can be done in five days straight if they want. It won’t be much of an effort and won’t consume much of her time.

They had initially scheduled a lunchtime meeting at a cafe located midway between Drino's agency studio and her office, as it was the only time they were both available. However, something came up on Ashmille’s end.

Drino called her on his phone.

“Hi, Ashmille. I received your document.” He held the document he had received from the Laude courier that she had booked.

He was referring to the signed job contract as his character partner and working with Drino’s agency.

“Nice, it arrived on time.”

“The thing about your CGPA. You were supposed to be a magna cum laude, right?”

He opened this subject because he read Laude on the delivery man’s polo shirt with its courier logo.

“Yes, why?”

“It crossed my mind. One of our classmates told us that you were the only student in our class who almost made it to be a magna cum laude.”

“Really… I didn’t know that. But we had six cum laude in the class. It wasn’t so bad for our class section standings.”

Ashmille suddenly remembers her struggle in college when she almost qualified to be a magna cum laude. This was her biggest heartbreak. Her CGPA is only 3.597 when she’s aiming for at least 3.6 to be qualified as a Magna Cum Laude. Drino was late to witness her thesis defense from start to finish. She was questioned about the Love Algorithm, which was Drino’s topic. She was unable to answer it directly because it was Drino’s affair.

“That was the reason you ghosted me after our thesis presentation, right?”

Ashmille couldn’t say yes and no at the same time.

No, because she initially avoided him so as not to spread gossip about them dating in college. And yes, because she sank into a deep sulk when she knew she was a cum laude candidate only.

Cutting ties with him was her coping mechanism, which also helped her move on, and rumors about their questionable relationship no longer lingered.

She accepted Drino's job offer, not only for the extra income but also to help him in any way she could.

“I want to make up for you, but it turns out I’m the one asking more favors from you. Thank you for signing the contract and for agreeing to be my character partner.

“I need this job, anyway. Thank you for this offer, too.”

“Why? What happened with your current job?”

“Uh, I mean, I would love to explore beyond my comfort zone and see what it’s like working with people like you.”

She didn’t tell the whole truth, not to worry him.

“So, that’s how it is. I guarantee you’ll have a good time here.”

“I look forward to it. I just have on request.”

“What is it?”

“Please don’t let anybody know that I work with you. Nobody should know outside your agency. I want to keep it discreet, not to upset your fans.”

This includes Feviah, who’s head over heels with Drino.