32: The Optimist and the Pessimist

What’s so intimate about having dinner with Drino in an all-you-can-eat restaurant, wearing our house clothes with wet hair?!

It was supposed to be Ritch who must be accused of having an intimate scene with him, not me!

Ashmille glared at her phone screen, which showed a slightly blurred image of ¾ Drino’s face smiling, holding his spoon and fork, looking at her and her back view with a red hood on her head.

It didn’t make sense with Ashmille how the public sees them as romantic interests when the atmosphere isn’t even romantic.

Is it because we sat at the back corner of the restaurant with dim lights, which made it a romantic scene?

I should not have worn a red hoodie because it draws attention. But I only have one hoodie, and it’s red!

It must be the massage therapist who recognized Drino at the spa!

She’s having a roller coaster of emotions, and her mind is currently unstable.

She chatted, texted, and called him, but he did not answer. She’s deeply worried that maybe his manager is scolding him for what they’ve done. Or maybe the company has terminated his contract officially because of the news.

She sent a message to Feviah and their team, letting them know that she will be showing up late to their office and she will take overtime to make up for it.

She booked a ride from her usual e-hailing app, when she decided to give the Drino app a try. She cancelled the initial booking before it went through. She arrived at the studio where the team meets to shoot the film.

Drino was scheduled to travel around the city for various shoots, so Ashmille decided to confront him early in the morning while he was still at the studio.

After entering the building, she asked some staff to find him. There were more people than the first time she went here, making it harder to spot him. It was a bit crowded. She tiptoed and moved her gaze around the room.

“Ashmille, you’re here!” Drino greeted him.

She looked at him from head to toe. She’s flustered seeing him in a black sando top and dirty white baggy cargo pants. She saw his fit body, slightly tanned skin, and defined biceps and triceps.

“When did you get that fit?”

“I've been working out at the gym for a couple of years, and I do both indoor and outdoor adventures. They also used makeup to accentuate my muscles.” He pointed out the makeup they put on his arms.

She shook her head. As a Drino page follower, she should be aware that he is involved in various physical activities.

“Do I look good?” he asked.

“T-That’s not what I came here for.”

“Why are you wearing a face mask?”

“This is a disguise. The guard asked me to take it off first for security reasons.”

“You’re in our studio. Everyone knows you already.”

“What? This is only the second time I went here.”

“They asked me about you and told them you’re my character partner. Everyone knows the regular staff here. They’re also familiar with the casts for this film since this company is still a small one compared to the major film production companies.”

“Sir Drino?” A female staff member approached them.

“Yes?”

“We’ll have a couple of rehearsals for a stunt.”

“Okay”

“Sorry to interrupt your conversation. Who are you with?” She glanced at Ashmille, standing behind him.

“She’s Ashmille, my character partner. She’s part of the team.” She pointed to the ID card she’s wearing. “She was here during the first day of the shooting.”

“Oh, okay. Please be there in 5 minutes.”

“Got it.”

Ashmille gave him a I-thought-everyone-knows-me look, which made Drino answer her questioning facial expression.

“Except her, I guess. You look suspicious because of the cap and face mask on.”

“Anyway, it’s better that only a few people know me here. I didn’t want to get popular because of a scandal.”

“It’s not a scandal. We didn’t do any wrong, especially you.”

“But in the eyes of the public, especially to your avid fans, I did. It is a misconduct to be alone with you in a buffet. You’ve seen the recent rumors online about you, yet you didn’t contact me to settle it with me.”

“About us? Yeah, I did.”

“Why does it have to be about us? We were caught together, and you’re more doomed between us. So, it’s mostly about you. Yes, you.”

“No need to sweat it. Today will be busier as well, so I didn’t bother.”

“I merely mumbled something about not wishing to read a headline like this, yet here we are… Ugh,” she grunted.

“Which proves you are indeed a fortune teller, but you deny it. Be proud of the rare talent you have,” he teased her.

“This is not the right time to make a joke out of it. This is a serious matter,” she panicked.

He raised both of his hands to his chest. “Chill up.”

“No, I can’t chill up. Chill down? Yes, because my blood pressure is going up because of this.”

“Both have the same meaning, which is to be calm and relaxed.”

“I didn’t ask you to be my dictionary and thesaurus.”

He laughed. “You’re so funny.”

“S-Stop it. This is no laughing matter. Why are you so chill about this? It isn’t my career that could be ruined because of this.”

“I couldn’t laugh like this if not for you.”

“Alejandrino!”

“Okay, I’m serious. Regarding your concern, my team will face this matter. They know the procedures and are professionals in handling these cases. This is not strange for a rising star. No need to worry and continue what you’re usually doing.”

“Rising? I thought you’d already risen.”

“I’m not a dough, Ashmille,” he struggled to suppress his laughter. For a moment, he forgot the problem that he and his management must deal with.

For Ashmille, Drino is already popular enough to be considered a big-time celebrity. But in the world of showbiz, he’s still an emerging talent.

“Thank you for making me laugh.”

“Even though I’m not a clown.”

“Which makes it funnier. Only you can do such tricks.”

“I heard about the issue your company is facing.”

“Business news rolls out like wildfire, just like about my rumored girlfriend.”

“Anything about you is like a festive food that people flock to and push themselves to get a plate of it.”

“Yeah, that’s the life of a public figure. I entertain people with good or bad news. Either way, they will be entertained, so why bother which kind of news should I deliver to them?”

“You’re an influencer. You’re someone who shares positivity with people online through your lifestyle, hobbies, values, and business. Even your face alone can reflect a ray of sunshine to your followers.”

“I didn’t know you thought of me that way.”

“This isn’t about me. It’s about you. You had previous business conflicts before we met, and now your image is also at risk because of what happened at the buffet. You’re facing a lot of mess already, and I don’t want to add to your burden.”

“You’re right that my life’s been harder than before. I was warned to be cautious about mixing my personal life, influencer career, and business venture. If all of these met, then a hurricane would follow. I still risked it all, and here I am in a crisis. I’m still stubborn as ever,” he laughed softly with a sad tone in his voice and eyes.

“Yes, you were stubborn before. You’re maturely stubborn now. You’ve changed a lot in a span of three years, but the old Drino is still in you. You’re brave for doing what you do. People praise you for good things, but they also talk badly about you. But I witnessed your hard work. I believe in you.”

He couldn't hold back his tears any longer and began to cry. He ran and hugged her.

She gently tapped his back to comfort him. “You’ve come this far. All it needs is a couple of tweaks, and it will work again. Let’s try once again.”

He loosened his hug and faced her. “I may be selfish if I say this, but please don’t leave. You’re my rest.”

“What are you talking about? I signed a contract to work with you as your character partner, remember? I can’t simply put off that contract and leave you with unfinished business. You’re paying me for the job I was supposed to do, so you don’t have to wish for something obvious.”

He snorted and wiped his tears. “Alright, I cried for nothing. Ahhh! It’s funny seeing me like this.”

He covered his face because he was embarrassed that she witnessed his miserable state.

“You’re indeed popular with girls,” she commented upon staring at his crying face, still looking cool.

“That means?”

“Nothing, forget what I said.”

“Hey, Drino.” A male staff member called him. “Your manager’s looking for you.”

Drino nodded, and the staff left after notifying him.

“Please come to my house.”

“Huh?”

“I will be having an advanced debut celebration in two days. I haven’t debuted officially, but my dotting parents arranged one for me. My family, relatives, and friends will be there. Please be there.”

“Is that one of the prototype dates?”

“Do you want us to be seen dating in my house with a lot of people?”

“Of course not.”

“Then the answer is no.”

“So, we have four more dates left?”

“Yup”

“That’s still a lot, if we exclude your debut party,” she thought.

“After we finish all the dates, you won’t even notice how fast the time has passed. Please come, okay? I’ll see you there!”