Chapter 2 – Something Peculiar

The studio lot was buzzing with activity, the air heavy with the scent of coffee, hairspray, and ambition. Cameras rolled, assistants shouted over one another, and producers paced like generals before battle. It was a world Anya knew well—but now, it felt foreign, almost hostile.

She adjusted her blazer for the tenth time, forcing a smile as a camera crew passed by. The producers had paired her with someone—her “partner” for the show—but they hadn’t told her much about him. Only that he was a viral sensation, a “real hero” the nation adored.

Anya’s heart sank slightly. Heroes were always perfect on screen, and she… wasn’t. She didn’t do perfect.

Kai Ito, on the other hand, looked painfully out of place. He stood near the lot entrance, hands shoved deep into the pockets of his hoodie, avoiding eye contact with anyone. The cameras followed him like persistent flies, and every crew member assumed he would charm the audience effortlessly. He didn’t want to be charming. He wanted to be anywhere but here.

When the producers finally introduced them, Anya forced her signature polite smile. “Anya Petrova,” she said, extending a hand.

Kai hesitated, then nodded, ignoring the handshake. “Kai Ito.” His tone was flat, controlled—far from the warmth the headlines suggested.

The brief moment of contact was… peculiar. Neither felt the spark that the producers clearly expected. Anya sensed no charm, only quiet tension. Kai sensed no pretense, only the carefully maintained armor of a professional star. Both of them silently thought the other was unapproachable.

Yet something lingered—a flicker of curiosity.

They spent the next hour on camera rehearsals, awkwardly paired for a “casual lunch date” segment. Anya tried to project charisma; Kai tried to project neutrality. Every glance, every laugh, every tiny gesture felt measured, artificial. And yet, behind the cameras, they caught glimpses of each other’s humanity: the slight twitch of Anya’s lip when a joke fell flat, the way Kai’s hands flexed nervously when he wasn’t speaking.

For Anya, it was frustrating. For Kai, it was… unsettling.

By the time the segment wrapped, the producers were smiling, thrilled with the “chemistry” they imagined on screen. But behind the scenes, the two of them exchanged a single glance, wordless, and both realized something strange had happened.

Neither trusted the cameras, neither trusted the show—but they both felt an unexplainable pull toward understanding the person hidden beneath the public persona.

Something peculiar had begun. And neither of them would be able to ignore it.