Behind the Curtains: A Tale of Hidden Emotions

Epilogue

I was getting a bit bored watching each audition, seeing everyone try so hard to fit into 'Anueng's' role. It was really tough finding someone who could truly embody this character.

P'wan, the CEO and a close friend, wanted to see a natural portrayal of Anueng in the talents. But after so many weeks, no one had really impressed us.

I stood up to change my perspective, moving to a corner to observe the new batch about to be called. Just like the previous talents, I could see how hard they tried to act in a way they thought would fit the role. But it never felt right.

The producers seemed to share my sentiments. I was beginning to lose hope of finding my co-lead when suddenly the door opened, revealing a cute girl.

"Chadah!" I tried to suppress my smile, entertained by her endearing reaction. She was so shy and adorable.

'She's really my type.'

What?! Erase, erase, erase.

'What are you thinking, Faye?!' I wanted to slap myself for having such unnecessary thoughts, especially since she looked so young and innocent.

P'wanwan asked her to sing in front of us. She looked so shy and nervous. I hoped she didn’t see me, as I couldn't stop myself from checking her out—I mean, observing her.

There was just something about her that made you want to pause and focus all your attention on her.

She proceeded with the audition, listening attentively to P'wanwan, Grace, and George. At that moment, I knew she was the one.

That thought was supposed to mean she was perfect for the role, but my heart interpreted it differently.

As I got closer to her and learned more about her, I didn’t realize I was slowly falling for her charm.

I was never one to fall in love easily. For so long, I had been with different people, flirting with some of them, mostly women. But no one had ever captured my interest the way she did.

This was a new ride for me. I tried so hard to resist the growing emotions I felt toward her, but no matter how much I tried to eradicate this attraction, I kept failing miserably, trapped by her irresistible beauty.

She wasn't just beautiful; she was talented, smart, brave, and an expert tease. She was a master of it.

I thought I was winning, given all my experience with women, but I was wrong. I hadn't yet seen her full potential.

When I did, I realized I was falling so deeply that I didn't know how to resurface. I was drowning in my love for her, trying my best to deny and resist it, but it continued to grow, spreading through my veins. The harder I tried to pull away, the stronger it held me back.

I was always flabbergasted by everything she did. She was like a jack-in-the-box—you never knew when she’d strike, but when she did, it always felt like a heart attack. That's what she did to me every time.

"Are you seriously asking me that?" I wanted the ground to open up and swallow me out of embarrassment as she recounted the time I awkwardly asked her if she wanted to eat ramen at my place.

I knew the meaning behind that phrase and just wanted to test if she did too. I loved teasing her and seeing her reactions, but I didn't expect that simple joke to backfire tenfold.

"And what's wrong?" I tried to save face, acting innocently as I had before. I could see she was enjoying my reaction, but little did she know, I was playing along too. "I saw her that night looking so exhausted and concerned because she seemed so hungry. That's why I asked her, like a normal question, if she wanted to eat ramen at my place."