The First Time

Chapter 1

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        "This is getting exhausting as hell." 

        The words echoed in the back of Haru's mind as he was getting dragged away from the crowd of agitated fans by two tall, muscular men. The sun hadn't risen and agitated crowds were already surrounding the set. They flailed and shamelessly pointed their phones in his direction. How and why did they get up so early? Was it just because they wanted to see him...?

        Haru was starting to regret picking up that project—a soapy, cliché romantic comedy which he didn't fully understand. All of those, they all had the same unrealistic plot: Person A meets Person B, A is perfect for B, B is perfect for A, they fall in love, all is magical. That simply does not happen. People don't just fall in love. Nothing is perfect. Haru was never a fan of 'over-the-top' romance, but he thought he could get away with starring in that one. He had to work. He simply had to, especially after what had happened—after she had happened.

        The actor had been promised scenes on private sets only prior to that day. He remembered the exact date and time that the director had said those words to him: August 26th, 11:14 am. They meant nothing other than further reinforcement that not properly reading a contract would bite him in the ass one day.  

        That day had come. Thanks to his multitude of fans on social media, the director had changed his mind and managed to pull off organising filming a romantic 'kiss in the rain' scene between him and his co-star. It could not get more cliché, but...

@madamada67:

ok idk who needs to hear this, but we need haru okada soaked #thefirsttime #pls

@uwuboi.x:

The day I see Haru Okada in a wet t-shirt is the day I am a happy man #TheFirstTime

@lola.p:

is it weird I want to see Haru make out in the pouring rain for... research? asking for a friend. #thefirsttime

... had been trending for more than a week.

        The news of the film's updates leaked and then spread rapidly. On a daily basis, the poorly blocked off area was saturated with fans and their cheers. Haru was aware it had been a brilliant marketing move, but that one image which many wished for was a rather huge factor adding to his frustrations. Although he did not perceive it to be malicious on their part, he saw their encouragement as a horrible invasion of privacy. He valued his peace, especially when he was working, and especially when he had to focus more to portray a character with whom he could not even resonate well. Why was he there? After all, could they have really not faked rain indoors?

        "Just a few more hours of this," the man mumbled to himself as he watched the sky slowly transform into a seamless gradient of purples and oranges. "A few more hours and I am done for today." His eyes fixated on his watch; he merely hoped his words were true. One more 'creative' viral social media post and he could be stuck on an outdoor set for days—or worse, weeks.

        The thought of that sent a shiver down his spine. "Fuck that." His frantic movements stood out from the workers sweetly taking their time. The actor kept pacing back and forth, without any breaks, within the confines of the improvised set. The crew was equally unprepared for the sudden change; nothing had been properly set up. He had to wait. He had to wait with hundreds of hungry eyes craving to devour him. The sea of people behind the weak barriers appeared to roar more loudly by the minute. Was security seriously allowing them to be there?

        "Fucking Shinjuku..." Haru rolled his eyes and blew warm air into his palms to warm them up. "...and fucking wind."

        There was no place for him to hide. His nerves had already decided to prohibit anyone from seeing him still for even one moment; no one keeps blurry images of others. His hazel eyes were curiously searching for a spot—any spot—to relax.

        In the blink of an eye, a petite silhouette appeared behind a nearby café's window. His eyes refused to make much of it. How long has it been there? Was it staring at him? No, whoever it was seemed more fascinated by the buzz in the area than by him. Good. The last thing he needed was the thought of yet another person focused exclusively on his actions. 

        Right as he shook off the thought, he noticed from the corner of his eye that the silhouette had dispersed. He listened for any calls from the crew—complete silence.

        "Lovely."

        The silhouette appeared once more; a woman in a pink dress and a broom in her hand pressed her face against the glass, lightly squishing her nose. Her face was intermittently hidden by a shy circle of fog. Perhaps it was him she was watching. A burst of curiosity conquered his anxiety for a brief moment. Haru was unsure whether he wanted an answer— or if he even cared for one—but given the possibility she might be interested in him, it sure was an entertaining thought for the man to mess around. No harm, no foul, right? 

        He needed to occupy his time and that checked all of his boxes. More privacy? Yes. Warmer? Yes. Could he grab something to drink? Obviously. Would he annoy the director, should he start looking for him? Yeah. Is there the smallest chance he could get laid? Possibly.

        With those in mind, Haru decided to walk towards the café, praying he would not be seen by the others.

        "Just a few minutes...please," he begged and listened out once more for any calls. The smell of chocolate from inside the building aroused his nostrils. Suddenly, it had become an even better idea.

        "Great. Now I'm hungry," he mumbled once again before entering the café.

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