ARCADE | Rebić

6

"Look at us now, we only got ourselves to blame
It's such a shame."

"That's a lot of people!" Mirko couldn't help but say once the limousine stopped.

Ivana couldn't help but laugh, wondering if he could ever get used to her world. "Uhm, that's not even that much, considering other events!"

The couple had been invited at the launch of a new album by a famous Croatian singer, Damir Kedžo, a singer that Ivana loved.

"Well..." Mirko took a deep breath. He had admit, he wasn't the type of person who loved to be on centre of attention, but he knew better Ivana's work and how it could have broken this walls of him.

"Just act natural!" Ivana giggled. "They will not eat you!"

"Comforting!" The man rolled his eyes as the door of their limousine opened and he was forced to face a storm of paparazzi ready with their flashes.

Ivana, on the other hand, seemed to be bothered not even a bit. She made her way, beside Mirko, almost like it was one of her fashion shows, with her golden dress which surely couldn't go unnoticed.

"Stop here!" She slowly said to him as the couple stopped in front of a panel. "Smile and just nods at journalists!"

The two of them smiled and put on pose, as paparazzi kept taking photos.

In that moment, Mirko only wanted to disappear. Was he famous or what now? He was getting scary of having them also outside his house now.

A journalist approached them. She was not old, she could have possibly be around Ivana's age. "Ivana! Ivana!" The woman called as she stopped just in front of them, a cameraman behind her, recording everything. "Ivana, you look stunning!"

"Thank you!" The blonde said as she waved her hair. Mirko almost recognised her, right now she wasn't acting like the usual Ivana he knew, but understood that maybe it was all the character she had to give to cameras or whatever bullshit.

"Is he your new boyfriend?" The journalist asked, putting the microphone under Mirko's lips, making him feel extremely uncomfortable. "What's your name?"

"I think that's pretty rude." Ivana said, nervousness in her voice, as she pushed away that microphone.

The journalist and her cameraman looked pretty shocked, but still, they didn't want to let it to end like that.

The young woman bought again the microphone in front of Ivana. "Do you still talk to Rebić?"

In that moment, Ivana felt like wanting to disappear. She felt Mirko's shocked eyes glued on her without even turning to face to him. She looked at the journalist in front of her. She would have literally punched her if there weren't so many people around and a camera to film. She put on the fakest smile ever. "I go being interviewed by a good journalist. Good evening."

And with that, she gestured Mirko to go.

"Ante?" The man couldn't obviously help but ask. "Did I miss something?"

"She probably got confused." Ivana said immediately, hoping to sound as convincing as she wanted to do.

And it seemed to have been, because Mirko didn't ask further questions and dropped the subject.

Or at least, she thought.

—

28 May 2020

Today was the day.

Ante took a deep breath before leaving his car.

Mirko wanted to introduce him his new girlfriend, that famous Ivana he couldn't stop talking about.