As soon as I entered the hall, I was greeted by the flashing lights of the media cameras. The sound of shutters echoed through the room as the other pageant contestants gave interviews to various news outlets.
"Hola, Miss Thailand!"
While I was lost in thought, a male newscaster with a distinct Latin accent caught my attention. He was accompanied by his cameraman, who was filming everything around him.
"Anntonia!"
"Miss Thailand!"
Others were shouting my country and name.
Despite the chaos, I managed to smile towards him, acknowledging his presence. Little did I know that this encounter would start my journey toward something much bigger than I ever imagined.
"Did you talk to Miss Philippines? There's speculation that you two are not getting along." He asked me.
"We're good, but we haven't talked much because we're usually in different groups each day due to certain activities," I answered.
I was kinda nervous when asked about my relationship with the Philippines. I lied and said that we were on good terms when we hadn't spoken since she arrived here. She has been kinda snobby ever since, she has this aura that makes me nervous about being near her, and seeing her socializing with everyone excluding me that could spark speculations among Filipino and Thai fans. It's as if the Thai-Fil wars are real.
"Are you sure? It seems to me like you're distancing from her. And even in group photos, I haven't seen the two of you together." He asked me with a curious expression, his eyebrows furrowed as if he wanted me to be honest. I remained calm even though the truth is we really haven't talked.
I felt someone's hands gripping my left waist and heard a calm breath in my ears. I unexpectedly felt comfort and ease with the warm presence of this person beside me.
My eyes widened immediately as I recognized the person who said, "We're good, right? Miss Thailand?"
It was a surprise to see Michelle Dee from the Philippines here. Her eyes caught my attention, and I felt like I was transported to a different dimension when she looked at me. Her smile and face were unreal. I don't know why, but I feel more nervous around her. It's awkward for me because I can still feel her hands on me.
Those short hair slicked back are totally on point she must've been so ready for this edition of Miss Universe and with her styling? Gosh! I'm kinda admiring this girl already.
"Miss Thailand?" She notion once again, that maybe she knew that I was distracted and stuck staring at her.
"Uh yeah, Michelle and I a-are on good terms." I instantly faced the newscaster and sighed a bit. I hope they didn't noticed that.
"There you are Miss Philippines, good to know that you two are on good terms!" The newscaster happily said.
I am truly mesmerized by Michelle's camera presence, her never-ending smile, and her fluent diction. She is a candidate with a wealth of knowledge and a genuine passion for what she does. To be honest, I feel threatened by her.
Unfortunately, my organization has instructed me to keep my distance from her for reasons that are unclear to me. I would like to befriend her, but the reminders from my organization make it difficult. Perhaps the goal for Thailand is to remain neutral and focus on winning the crown.
After saying goodbye to the newscaster we walked away from them. We had such a great interview with him and at a minute it feels like Dee and I are really close.
"I had a great time there, you too I think, Miss Thailand?" She asked me with her wide smile, she's really cute with that face I must say. I couldn't stop feeling the giggle around her.
"Uh yeah you're right.." I shyly said. Why does this woman making me nervous even more? It is getting kinda weird on my part. I'm not like this with other candidates.
There must be something with her.
"I hope we could talk more often since the Filipinos and Thais are rooting for us." She continued.
It got back to my senses when I saw my team at the back staring at me with their poker face look. I already knew what's in their head.
Ann! Get back! You must focus!
As I distanced myself from her, her eyes shows the expression of disappointment. I knew she was an incredible person with a great personality, but I couldn't help feeling sad about the situation. Even though I was doing the right thing by keeping a civil distance from her, I didn't want to disobey the organization's rules about being too close to her or to anyone.
"Why so distant, Porsild?"
Her voice became gloomy apart from her energized spirit earlier.
I ignored her antics and beamed a smile at her. "Thanks, Miss Philippines." That's the last thing I have said.
As I left her in a hurried state, I could still see the worries in her eyes. It was as if she was trying to understand what was wrong with her actions earlier while staring at me. My conscience was urging me to befriend and acknowledge her. Meanwhile, my team was sending me numerous messages as they had seen the interview with Dee.
[Miss Priya]
" รักษาระยะห่างไว้! "
In English Translation: "Keep your distance!"
I took a deep breath and focused on the situation at hand. What if I could be friends with Dee? Would our personalities complement each other? Could we build a strong and genuine friendship? Additionally, I wondered if the Thai-Filipino fans could show more patience and love towards one another.
However, I couldn't shake off the feeling of being bothered by Dee's stare as I left her. Although she seemed nice, I am puzzled on why I was so mesmerized by her face.
This was the first time I had felt such a way towards a woman, and I wanted to forget about it. Universe, please keep my eyes away from her.
