The Last Scene's Secret

Chapter 6: Between Scenes and Secrets

As they stood there, gazing at the completed puzzle, the room was thick with unspoken questions and the weight of their rediscovered past. Orm finally broke the silence, her voice barely above a whisper, "What now?..."

Ling sighed, her eyes still fixed on the puzzle pieces that represented more than just a childhood memory. "I don't know," she replied, her voice laced with uncertainty and a hint of regret.

Orm hesitated for a moment, then slowly stood up. "I guess I should go home then... Thanks for letting me stay," she said, her tone soft yet distant. Ling just nodded, unable to find the right words to say, watching as Orm gathered her things and left the condo.

Once alone, Ling took a deep breath and tried to shake off the lingering emotions. There was no time to dwell on what had happened between them—not when another shoot was scheduled for the day. She quickly got ready and headed out.

As she arrived at the set, Ling flipped through her script, her eyes widening in shock when she realized what scene they were about to film. "Why so early?" she muttered to herself, feeling a surge of anxiety. Without wasting a moment, she marched straight to Ying's office, only to find Orm already there, clutching her own script with a similarly troubled expression.

Ying looked up from her desk, immediately reading the concern on their faces. "I'm guessing you're here because of the love scene?" she asked, her tone almost amused.

"Yes!" Ling exclaimed, frustration creeping into her voice. "It's been only 4 episodes—why is it happening so soon?"

"She's right," Orm chimed in, her voice steady but carrying an undertone of concern.

Ying sighed, folding her arms. "It's in the novel. We have to stay true to the source material."

Ling frowned, her frustration bubbling over. "Who even wrote this?" she demanded, her voice rising.

Me! Okay, hey! I wrote it! Stop complaining, Ling. Just go with it! ... Oh right, the story—sorry, continue.

Orm exchanged a glance with Ling, both realizing there was no getting out of it. "Fine," they said in unison, though neither seemed fully at ease.

As they stepped onto the set, the atmosphere grew tense. The scene they were about to film required them to be vulnerable, to channel emotions that had recently resurfaced from their shared past. The director called action, and they were plunged into their roles.

The scene began with Orm and Ling standing close, their characters exchanging hesitant glances as the scripted tension built between them. Ling's character moved first, reaching out to gently brush a strand of hair from Orm's face, her touch lingering just a second too long. Orm's character, taken aback by the unexpected tenderness, slowly leaned in, closing the distance between them.

As their lips met, the kiss was soft at first, filled with uncertainty and exploration. But then, something shifted—both in the scene and in the air between them. The kiss deepened, becoming more urgent, as if both were trying to recapture something lost, or maybe something never fully realized.

Orm's hands found their way to Ling's waist, pulling her closer, while Ling's fingers threaded through Orm's hair, drawing her in even further. The intensity of the scene grew, the emotions they were portraying blurring with the real feelings they had yet to fully confront.

For a moment, it felt as though the cameras weren't even there—that this was just them, two people trying to make sense of the tangled web of their past and present. But as the scene continued, reality stepped back in, and they slowly pulled away, the lingering heat of the kiss still fresh on their lips.