Lover's Identity

Chapter 1

"The whole world wants us to be together but the moment we do they will rip us apart"

*****

A wide gray hall filled with a numerous nervous candidates preparing for the audition of their life. Among them, a man in black jacket started to rehearse the lines numerous times waiting patiently for his turn. He is Haar Bing. Opposite to him sat a younger guy in white hoodie deeply occupied with his own thoughts unbothered with all the fuss around him. He is Yoren Saga.

An Assistant Casting Director (ACD) appeared after a while and informed them "sorry, the director had something urgent came up, so he will take your auditions tomorrow together. This is the scene you will need to enact."

The assistant casting director leaned in towards the duo while handing the papers, "I shouldn't be saying this but the director liked your screen test you gave in the morning, he thought you both compliment each other quite well. If you can do your best tomorrow for the audition, there is a high chance you might get this role. Good luck. Ah, by the way looks like we missed your application form somewhere Mr Yoren could you please fill it out on your way out?" With those words she disappeared like a wind into the director's office afterward.

"Do you want to practice the scene?" Haar had a bright expression on his face after hearing the encouraging words of the ACD.

"Mhn," Yoren said.

The duo settled in a low-key pub near the downtown shortly.

"Beer? I'll buy" Haar said.

Yoren looked questioningly at Haar. "Haha don't get deceived by my looks, I'm much older than I look like" Haar smiled.

Haar is 29 this year, unlike his age, he just looks like a mere 20 years old with a little baby fat left on his face along with cute dimples. His eyes are big, wide, and showed no signs of his age. In contrast, Yoren is just 20 years old but he has a mature look on his face that one can easily mistake him for a 25 something. Both are handsome in their own way.

"I...I can't drink, I am still 20" Yoren said meekly.

"What?" Haar was surprised at the mature look Yoren had but quickly composed himself not to come off as rude "I will get something nonalcoholic for you then" Haar left to order.

After having a drink or two, Haar became comfortable talking to Yoren.

"Actually, this is my last tenure with my company. Basically, I'll be jobless after this project" Haar sighed as he sipped on his chilled beer .

"Hmm, it's not easy to sign with another company with my current age and connections, this might as well be my last time on screen. Heard Director Well is a fan of true talent than connections. So I thought I might risk it all and audition for a significant role for the first time although my company is not very happy about the small budget production. Again, they could care less about an extra like me. But if this show does a decent job I might have a chance to renew the contract" Haar's eyes twinkled with hope as his dimples deepened.

"Me too" Yoren spoke meekly.

"Nothing to worry about. If we try our best we might make it. Why did you audition for this role?" asked Haar.

Yoren, "..."

"Alright alright we all have our desperate story to audition for small productions like this, you don't need to say it out loud if you don't want to." Haar took out the script from the bag which the ACD gave to them. He flipped through the pages while his expression darkened.

Yoren looked at Haar questioningly. "Ahem...you know that our roles are of two cops with a complicated relationship right?"

Yoren said "yes"

"Ahem.. apparently the relationship is somewhat ahem romantic.." Haar handed over the script to Yoren.

The scene is where Yoren's character (Lovel) is wounded badly and Haar's character (Dean) saves him and tries to hide him from other cops in his unit. The emotions get high after years of longing and restraining. Tears roll down Dean's eyes as he saw Lovel lying on the bed unconscious. He sits beside him and adjusts a few bangs in the front and leans to kiss Lovels's lips softly. Before he could part, his lips are sealed tight by Lovel who regained his consciousness. The two start to kiss each other depicting their love, caring, conflict, helplessness, and many more unspoken emotions for each other. Then the camera turns to cut.

Yoren looked at Haar silently without speaking anything.

Haar looked worried as he already noticed how reserved and aloof Yoren is. "Do you still want to rehearse?" Haar asked hesitatingly.

"I...I don't know how to kiss.." Yoren spoke finally a few words more than mere yes, no, and blank expressions.

"Haha, of course, I have never kissed a guy before either, I don't know if I can really convey all those emotions mixed with the sexual tension. That's why I say we rehearse this" Haar replied.

"I have never kissed anyone before"

"You never had any kissing scenes in your previous acting projects?"

"No...like I said this my first time auditioning"

"First time auditioning in a significant role?"

"No, first time auditioning for a role"

"Oh..." Haar's voice crumbled as he could see his dream of getting a significant role and renewing his contract is a sinking titanic now. He quickly composed himself to save the ship from sinking and "You must have kissed your girlfriend or your crush right?"

"No. I was too busy for that" Yoren replied.

Haar left a deep sigh and couldn't speak anymore as he realized it's inevitable for this titanic to touch the ocean floor. Too busy for that? Is he a president of a country or a CEO of a billion-dollar company? this guy is doing worse than me for his own good, Haar looked like his soul is about to leave his body anytime soon now.

"Let's rehearse" Yoren proposed boldy all of a sudden.

"But..but this is your first kiss, how can you..how can you.."

"If we don't do it today, anyhow we have to do it tomorrow at the auditions, so we might as well do it today," Yoren spoke.

"..."

What? is this doing laundry or mowing a lawn? we might as well do it today?

Before Haar could reply his wrist was grabbed by a man with a pair of small yet sharp eyes accompanied by a distinct alluring mole near the left eye.

***