Fatal Spotlight

Chapter 4

"Ingat ka, anak," my manager said as she drive me to the airport. It was finally time for my flight. In the backseat, Kera was busy applying makeup, barely paying attention to us.

"Thanks, Ma," I smiled at her.

"Kuya Evan, pasalubong ha!" Kera teased, glancing at me through the mirror.

"Alright," I replied with a small smile.

As we drove, my thoughts drifted back to what Joseph mentioned. There was something I needed to ask my manager. I almost forgot about it, but now seemed like a good time.

"Ma... have you heard about Direk Jon's upcoming series? Joseph mentioned it to me," I began, breaking the silence.

"Oh, the boy love series?" she asked casually. "They actually offered you the role, but you said you wouldn't take any romance projects, so I declined for you."

My mouth dropped open. "Wait, what? Really?"

"The role was originally for you," she added, glancing at me briefly.

"Woah, Kuya Evan doing BL?" Kera chimed in from the backseat, her grin practically reaching her ears.

"Can you check it again?" I asked my manager, suddenly curious.

"Yeah, sure. Pag-iisipan mo ba?" she asked, raising a brow. "I should've told you about it, pero nakalimutan ko na kasi." She shrugged, looking a bit apologetic.

"Okay lang, Ma," I assured her with a small smile.

"Are you actually planning to do BL, Kuya?" Kera asked, her tone a mix of surprise and excitement.

"I just... want to explore," I replied with a chuckle.

"That's good, Kuya! Napansin ko nga, parang hindi mo naeexplore yung career mo kasi puro action roles ang ginagawa mo," she said, her face lighting up. "I was actually imagining you doing fantasy! Like, you're a god—super powerful!" She sighed dreamily, completely lost in her own world.

I shook my head, amused. "Fantasy, huh?"

"But BL is a trend, too," she added, snapping back to reality. "I personally love boy love series!"

Typical Kera. She's still in senior high, so it's no surprise how easily things excite her. But I'm glad she's enjoying life.

"Anong gagawin mo sa NZ?" my manager suddenly asked, bringing me back to the present.

"Rest," I said, though my tone sounded unsure.

"Ang layo naman ng pahingahan mo," she chuckled, shaking her head.

"I deserve it... I guess," I sighed, leaning back in my seat.

"Bakit parang ang tamlay mo?" she asked, eyeing me carefully.

"I'm not," I said, shaking my head.

"If you say so," she muttered, giving up on pressing the topic.

I chuckled softly and smiled at her. "Thanks, Ma. Promise, after three months, I'll be back—and I'll do the project."

Her eyes widened. "You will?"

"Let's give it a try." I said casually, though my words held weight.

I'm doing this for her. It's the least I can do to thank her for always looking out for me. I know she wanted me to take that project, but because it's a romance, she didn't push me.

She really cares about me.