And so they're back again. Even in a different conference room, the sour reminiscence of the last time Noen met with the same employees still remains.
The space is filled with prolonged conversations about photo-ops, how to answer certain questions from fans, and all that typical scripting that comes with any stunt. He's very well aware he should be paying close attention but well, he's not.
Because even if having Chase in his presence is slightly more bearable now, he still resents the aura of looming authority mocking him from these corporate walls and chairs. It gives him whiplash almost to look at him. He can't shake the breathless summer nights and the agonizing heartbreak that came after from his mind even if he tried.
Noen would say it's funny how times change, but he thinks whatever happened between them has been in the grave far too long for him to lie.
"-and if all doesn't go to plan then we can simply fall back under the guise that you two are solely friends!" Is all Noen can hear as he barely fades back into reality, remembering that right, important people are still talking.
Despite the seemingly kind TikTok employees in the room, Noen can't help but feel utterly wrong about this feeling of selling out. Even if he didn't have much of a choice, he can't stop thinking about his former-self. The former-self that promised to start a new era of life as normal as he could. To put himself first and be free from the burdens of cameras in his face, fans following his every move, and of course Chase Hudson.
Noen was doing just fine but now he has to become something he swore to never resort to, against his damn will at that. All of his negative guilt feelings about this scheme were resurfacing. Manipulating innocent people was more Chase's forté anyways.
He thinks about how Chase and Charli's case must've went down. Although it's probably less difficult to be in a dating stunt when you two weren't each other's gay awakening gone wrong over two years ago, Noen assumes.
A weird pang of jealousy hits him when Noen realizes this. That Chase has done all this before with her. He shrugs it off; blaming it on an insecurity thing that stemmed from Chase's experience and Noen's lack thereof.
For the most part, big things like fake paparazzi-ops and tiktoks were scripted and given rules to. Other than that though, they were told to improvise the rest.
After what seemed like decades, the meeting's over at last. And as Noen and Chase make their way towards the door he stares at the faces of the employees. He almost wants to scream. Aren't they happy? They've won, right?
It's unfair how Noen will never truly be free from the grasp of corporate control. No matter how far he runs or how happy he is without them, they'll always come back; and it seems that Chase will too.
And when they walk outside into a camera too close for comfort with the Hollywood Fix logo van parked across from them, it's only then when Noen realizes he may have been a little too deep into thought.
It's fine. Noen has had his fair share of Hollywood Fix encounters. Albeit considerably less than his other more well-known influencer counterparts, but he could handle it after all he was just on his own and-
Right. That's why they're here.
He wasn't on his own. The questions from the strange men behind cameras only register in his brain blurringly. Noen's suddenly hyper aware of Chase next to him, walking together a bit too close for comfort.
Not knowing what to do and on the brink of an anxiety attack, there's a sentence whispered in his ears along the lines of Follow my lead all too quickly to remember.
Noen mentally comes back to earth when he realizes the cameraman and Chase are now conversing.
"Wow that's crazy I mean, last I heard you guys weren't on the best terms!" The cameraman puts up a faux-surprised tone.
"Oh really?" Chase says, he's also speaking in a faux tone. Not that anyone else needed to know though.
"Yeah. Everyone's been saying. It was all over tiktokroom for a while." The way the cameraman annunciates his so-called charismatic voice is really starting to piss off Noen.
Noen can play into this too, he decides.
"Whaaat? No that was nothing it's- it's um, no!" Noen says, knowing he's went a bit too far on the cluelessness when Chase stares back in the blankest face ever.
"He's just joking.. but yeah! We worked things out. Our friendship was definitely something too special to lose i think." Chase covers for Noen.
Noen secretly envies how well-spoken and charming Chase can be, it's a secret that he'd die with. He burns a glare into Chase's dark locks.
"Beautifully said. More influencers could learn from you two! We have all this drama and who said what going around and that's just teenagers for you." They both hum in agreeance to this, counting down the seconds until it's acceptable to politely leave.
"I mean yeah! Pretty much." Chase answers up for the two of them.
"Alright then it was nice catching up with you two! Have a good day!" And the cameraman finally takes off in his tacky Hollywood Fix van. Unaware of the two catching their breath from the unexpected encounter.
***
TIKTOKROOM HAS POSTED!
104,598 views
tiktokroom via #TheHollywoodFix on Youtube; It seems @Notnoen and @Huddy have made amends 👀 Are we here for this?
5 minutes ago
instagrammer: NO WAY??
instagrammer: OMG REMEMBER WHEN CHOEN WAS A THING😭
instagrammer: 2019 throwback
instagrammer: im confused who's Noen
instagrammer: NOEN DESERVES BETTER
instagrammer: our friendship was too "special"......
| instagrammer: that's kinda 🫣🏳️🌈
| instagrammer: oh hell naw we not doing this again
instgrammer: its sad their friendship was ruined by shippers. lets hope nothing happens this time
instagrammer: CLICK MY BIO YOU WILL EARN $100000000
***
authors note
i guess putting slow updates in the story description is better than having to apologize for uploading late every chapter... i have a lot of responsibilities revolving school and final exams coming up. but thank u for all votes, reads, and the kind words. english isn't my first language so i may think i'm doing something right here? hahah
YOU ARE READING
𝐒𝐔𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐂𝐔𝐓 , choen
Fanfictiondiscontinued ☆ ! 𝐈𝐍 𝐖𝐇𝐈𝐂𝐇 after an eternity of silence between the two, they're suddenly asked to fake a relationship for publicity.
