The studio lights were too bright. That was the first thing Aru noticed. Not the cameras. Not the chairs. Not even the script that was handed to him. Just the lights. Too bright to be honest.
"Ready in five!"Someone shouted from behind the camera. He exhaled slowly. In...Out...
This was just an interview. Just another promotional appearance for their new series. Just another day of pretending everything was fine. Except it wasn't.
He was sitting beside Jae. Smiling professionally.
Perfectly.
The crowd outside screamed faintly through the glass walls. The fans.
Waiting. Watching.
"Remember,"Aru's manager whispered into his ears.
"Stay on script."He nodded. Of course.
Script.
Three minutes later, the interview began.
"Welcome back to Blue Hour Talk"the host smiled brightly. "We've missed you both!" Applause.
Camera zoomed in.
"So,"The host leaned forward, excited for some tea, "your new drama Love In Paradise was a huge hit! From what we have here, it has been getting a lot of attention! "
"Yes,"Jae said smoothly. "We've been working really hard." Laughter was heard then more applauds.
Aru followed. Smiled when needed. Nodded when necessary. Perfect timing. Perfect rhythm.
But his fingers under the table curled slightly.
"Everyone is talking about your great acting skills and chemistry," the host titled their head slightly. "But of course...fans still talk about your previous pairing, Aru."
There was silence...just a fraction. Then cheers from the audience.
Louder. Unexpectedly emotional.
Aru's chest tightened. The host continued casually.
"There were rumors you two were very close on set..."A playful smile. "...Even off set. The perfect couple." The air in the room shifted slightly. Aru felt it before seeing it. Eyes turning. Camera adjusting. Interest sharpening.
His manager behind the cameras straightened.
Sharp...Alert.
"Answer carefully"He nodded once...barely. But Before he could speak, Jae who sat beside him moved first.
"Oh" he said lightly, "No one can deny that Arun Kittiphan and Han Zeyu had good chemistry. But that's in the past. We have worked well together so far." There was a pause. Jae smiled. Controlled.
"But fans love being delulu, Aru and Zeyu were just great co actors."Laughter came from the crowd.
Relieved.
Good answer.
Safe answer.
Then, the host turned again, to Aru.
"And you?"they asked him.
Everything slowed.
"You and Han Zeyu were really close right?"A beat. "Do you miss working with him?"
Silence. A long one.
The camera captured it, the fans noticed. Even Jae noticed. Aru's throat tightened slightly. He should answer quickly. He knew that. But his mind wasn't here. It was somewhere else. A practice room. A midnight message. A hand brushing his sleeve. A voice saying "stop"
Zeyu.
"... I-"A warning voice in his ear snapped.
"Answer now."He forced a smile. Small.
Controlled .
"...We were good colleagues."A short pause.
"That's all ."Too clean. Too sharp. But too late. The room reacted instantly. But not how he expected. No applause. No laughter. Just a shift in the air. The silence felt heavier than noises. Because fans noticed something . like always.
Online
@aruzeyunatioin: Why did he hesitating.
@idcimsayingit: Something is off.
Emotionallymisoo: where is the warmth.
Minsooxaruzeyudrama: That smile looked forced...
eruzeyuisreal: He used to answer differently.
Clips started spreading immediately. Slow- motion replay. Side by side comparison.
pause.
Old interview Aru laughing freely leaning forward. Soft eyes. The New interview Aru's called smiled guarded voice and empty pauses
Back on stage, the host tried to lighten the mood.
"Ah, the fans are just nostalgic!"
Laughter again, but this time, it was forced. But the damage was already done.
Jae glaces him. A small glance barely visible. But it said everything. Jae almost said something. Their eyes met for half a second. Too long for it to be nothing. Too short to be safe. Then they looked away.
"Cut!"Relief flooded the room, "Good job everyone."Claps...Movements.
But Aru didn't move immediately. Still sitting. Still processing.
Until a hand lightly taped his shoulder.
"You okay?"It was Jae. For a second he didn't answer. Then "...Yeah."
A sharp pause, then "You're not very convincing today," Jae said quietly. Not cruel.
Just honest. That hurt more.
Later away from the cameras. Away from the noise.
"You almost slipped,"Jae said.
"... I know." there was a shirt silence then, "You were thinking about him." It was not a question. It was a statement. A fact. Aru's Jae tightened slightly.
"...Don't"
"Don't what?"
"Don't start acting like you understand." A pause then, Jae said. Softly.
"I don't have to understand." A step closer.
"I can see it" "This isn't sustainable," Jae added quickly.
There was silence again.
"You can't keep breaking like this on camera." Another pause. Then, in a low voice, Jae said "...they'll notice"
That, was the real threat. Not the company. Not the fans. Exposure.
That night, another video went viral. A video of the interview, but it was a moment that no one noticed. But someone did.
A split second when the camera had shifted. Arun had looked down at his hands. Like he was holding something invisible. And trying not to lose it.
@idcimsayingit: He looked like he was about to cry.
@emotionallyminsoo: Something is really wrong.
And for the first time, the story stopped being just rumors. It started becoming truth.