Alter

Take 20!

After being held captive in the "interrogation room"—a.k.a. War's hotel room—for three long hours, he finally emerged from the clutches of Priya and Sarah, the dynamic duo of overzealous gossipers. They had devoured three bags of chips and enough soda to sink a small ship, all while dissecting every minute detail of his new relationship with Vee.

War was practically dragged around his room, listening to their relentless chatter about his "romantic future," which had somehow turned into an hour-long debate on whether Vee's hair products were too fancy for a casual date.

"I mean, who has hair that shiny without a professional stylist? What is he trying to do, make the sun jealous?" Priya had exclaimed, and War had just rolled his eyes, desperately trying to remind them he was a grown man, not a contestant in a reality show about bad hair.

Finally, with the two girls satisfied and ready to leave, War flopped down onto his bed like a deflated balloon, utterly spent but blissfully happy. He was in that dreamy state of euphoric exhaustion—the kind that makes you feel like you just won the lottery, but instead of money, it's just overwhelming feelings for a certain director.

Staring up at the ceiling, he couldn't help but grin like a fool. Vee! They were officially together now, and it was more thrilling than finding an extra fry at the bottom of the bag.

"Kyaaaaaaaa!" he squealed into his pillow, his heart doing a little dance. "What's next? Are we going to binge-watch our favorite movies together? I can already picture us arguing over whether the book was better than the film. Spoiler alert: it always is! And he has to fucking agree with me or else....never mind! He's too precious....too gorgeous...ugh."

He sighed dreamily, already imagining a future filled with late-night brainstorming sessions and shared scripts. Their hobbies aligned perfectly: both nerding out over film theory and sneaking snacks during those intense movie marathons.

War's inner monologue was practically writing a rom-com script, and he was definitely the lead, with Vee as the charming co-star ready to steal his heart. He already came up with a title, one that is a bit cliché but would definitely capture the audinece. Like Jack And Joker: You Stole My Heart.

It was in the middle of his blissful daydream when War's phone started buzzing beside him, cutting through his fantasy like a dramatic plot twist. He grabbed it in what could only be described as superhuman speed, nearly launching himself off the bed in his eagerness. His heart did a little flip when he saw Vee's name lighting up the screen.

"Arrgh!" he squealed like a schoolgirl at a boy band concert, kicking his legs in the air like he was trying to take off. After a few ecstatic rolls on the bed, he finally settled down, straightened his posture, and cleared his throat in a way that would make any voice coach proud.

"Uh, hello?" he said, trying to sound cool and casual, but it came out sounding a little too... scripted. The pitch of his voice dropped dramatically, and he could almost hear the comedic dun dun dunnnn in the background, making it sound ridiculously low and almost cartoonish.

On the other end, Vee burst into laughter. "Wow, that was a dramatic hello," he teased, and War felt a rush of heat rise to his cheeks. "Are you trying to audition for a role in a soap opera?"

War couldn't help but giggle, the embarrassment turning into playful banter. "What can I say? I'm a method actor," he shot back, his heart racing with excitement.

"Right. So how did the 'interrogation' go with the girls?" Vee asked, curiosity lacing his voice.

War sighed dramatically, letting the weight of his exhausting evening wash over him.