Him & Me

3

"That's a wrap, people!"

Everybody clapped and cheered. I did too, actually. Finally, I can clean this damn set so I can go home and rest! And I sure won't be the only one cleaning it, oh no. I have assistance from other teams as well who gladly took it since we all wanted that check! Yass!

It was exactly 2am now, and we will be cleaning up possibly until 6am and I'm okay with that.

I've been through worse, this is nothing.

Since there's a lot of us clearing the set, in no time we we're done. I'm just mopping the set floor, I told them that it's fine if I will be closing this set. I mean, this just a small space to mop in anyway.

Since no one's around, I put on my AirPods and listened to Taylor Swift's reputation, forever the iconic album.

"I'm perfectly fine,
I live on my own,
I made my mind,
I'm better off being alone.

We met a few weeks ago,
Now you try on calling me, baby,
Like try on clothes..."

I was about to sing the rap part when I felt someone giving me a poke..

I quickly turned around with me pointing the mop to... wait. What?

It was the actor that I had an eye-to-eye contact war from earlier! Seeing him up close, he does look handsome like what Meiji mentioned earlier... maybe even more handsome than I have expected.

"Ohayo, how may I help you?"

"Kon'nichiwa..." he stopped and looked down to look at my name tag, "...Rai?"

"Hai! You can call me Ray, Rai, whichever you prefer, sir."

"There's no need for profanities, Ray-san. I like you actual name better than the Japanese one, so I'll call you that..." he said to me and nodded in reply.

There is a sudden silence between us, not uncomfortable but comfortable either if that makes sense.

Now this is awkward. Why is this guy back in here? Why is he still wearing his costume minus the jacket.

I have so many questions in mind but it gave me time to see his features clearly.

He does have dimples when he smiles, he has big almond-shaped eyes, very defined jaws and cheek bones, thin lips and a good damn nose! He is indeed lean, looks like the same height as me, and has disheveled hair, like...

Is this the most perfect human being or what?!

"Earth to Ray-san?"

"Ehh? Oh, gommen-nasai."

Damn, I didn't notice I was staring way too much. Embarassing!

"That's fine. By the way, coffee?" he then offered a canned coffee on his hand, assuming it came from a vending machine outside.

"Arigato," I accepted.

"Kon'nichiwa, I am Akaso Eiji-desu. 27 years old. I am an actor working under Fukisawa Media Company. You?"

"I am Ray Takasi, 27 and a half. Just a mere Filipino janitor working under this building," I said. I need to stop degrading myself here.

"Wait, what month are you born in?" He asked me.

"January of 1994," I answered.

"Ah, my profanity is indeed correct. You call me Akaso-kun then. I'm born in March," he explained and gave him a nod as a reply.