Author's note: I couldn't resist the temptation, I was supposed to do research for my thesis but I just had to post this as I got too excited with all this NY dates. My poor heart can only take just as much.
P.S. Don't take this chapter too seriously, the mention of other actors here is just for fun and from my own imagination and it doesn't necessarily mean it happen in real life.
Chapter 7 - Reel or real?
"Hello Margie!" Yaya tried to keep her voice level in check as she talk to her friend who just got home. "Where are you?" she asked fanning herself with her folders as she stare at her team setting up their things outside the condo they're trying to promote.
She knows it might be too much but she badly needed her friends help as her models cancelled at the last minute it'll be hard for her to look for back ups. What's worst is that it wasn't just one but the entire model as according to her contact, their flights got delayed and wont be able to make it on time.
It wouldn't be much of a problem as they can reschedule, the only thing is that they can't delay it anymore.
'So much for booking the most sought after celebrities' she thought as she looked back on how she hesitated picking them because of their prices but because she was on her nothing to lose mode, she still chose them to be the presenter of her company.
This project is a big one and it may dictate her capability of being a head architect or not. This might also be the push that Sperbund Corp. need to take a step forward.
"My condo" Margie replied sleepily, "For goodness sake, It's sunday and why are you calling me at this ungodly hour?"
Checking her clock, she let out another curse again as she felt her sweat pouring down, "I need your help"
She even sacrificed her Sunday, 'what kind of misfortune is this?' she thought she needed to do more merit often to lessen unfortunate events that seem to follow her.
"You can't be serious" Margie groaned, "You know I just got back. I got jetlag and I feel so damn tired I can't even lift a finger."
Yaya took a deep breath as she utters her next word, she knew Margie cant refuse,
"Please"
And just like the magic word, she got her friend to agree. It was their safe word after all.
In the entirety of their friendship, she never beg for anyone's help, not even when it was very obvious she needed one.
"Okay" Margie sighed in defeat, "Text me the details and I'll be there in a sec"
'One down', she thought, looking around the area as she watched her team set up their things 'Where will I find three more people at this hour?' she thought as she looked at her watch.
It was just a quarter past 5 am which is exact as what she needed before everything went down the hill.
The plan was to cover the shooting during the sunrise as the theme 'Family' requires. She had chosen to showcase her condo for a starting couple or for those who's already have kids.
She had decided to concentrate on the unfinished high rise condo tower of Sperbund Corp. as she find it would be a waste if not continued because it was already on it's finishing stage. The problem was on the lack of clients, potential buyers and of course, the financial resources.
Backed up with Kugimiya Corp. she changed some features of the building and added more amenities that she thought would attract people and changed its target clients from hi-so to average. She thought that sales would be higher if she directed it towards the middle or medium earners and just provide promo or loan to help them pay.
She knew that this won't caused her financial backlash as she figured that most of the lack of funds was due to the supposed expensive finishing of the condo as it was meant to be a high end one.
She thought she was already done with the hard part as chose which items to replace the one she thought was overly priced without having low quality yet another problem arise.
"Ya, What's going on?"
A fresh looking Boy asked her as he wiped his sweat, he was on his jogging outfit.
"I heard from a reliable source you were gonna shoot here so I thought I might stop by"
Yaya sighed as she went over her friend, deciding to vent off as she knew he's not gonna scold her.
"I'm doomed" she sighed as if it's the end of the world, " I lost my models and now I can't continue the shoot if I wouldn't find replacement fast. You know how important this is for the company. "
Boy briefly glanced towards where he came from before asking, "How many people do you need?"
"I need three more" she said, motioning with her fingers, "One girl and two guys. I managed to get my friend Margie to agree, luckily she just got home yesterday"
"Well" Boy stared at her for a moment thinking, "You can count me in?"
She looked at him as he says this.
'He can't be joking'
"For real?!"
"Yes, besides, it would be a good advertisement if the President of the company itself promotes it" Boy nodded smiling at her, then his eyes lit up as he suddenly think of something, "Why don't YOU be the other girl and I'll ask my -"
"I VOLUNTEER AS A TRIBUTE!" Mario suddenly shouted running towards them, with a disgruntled Nadech in tow. Both were in their jogging outfits.
"You're gonna be my partner right?"
Mario smiled at her and winked at Boy as the two exchanged hi-five.
"I don't know" Yaya hesitated glancing at Nadech who's not even glance at her since he arrived.
'What did I do again?' she asked herself, this past few days, she couldn't read her friend anymore as there were times when he is too good at her, bringing her dinner in her office when she stayed up late but there were also times when Nadech would often ignore her presence. Like today.
"You dont have choice" Mario said effectively breaking her stare at Nadech.
"Come on, we need to change outfits"
She turn around at the boys when she heard the sound of 'aw' and laughter from Boy, wondering what had gotten into them.
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The shooting with Boy and Margie had gone smoothly as it turn out that the two knew each other. According to Margie, they were best buddies before in high school and she remembered how Nadech said to her that his brother studied abroad.
She can't believe how small their world is.
Shaking her head, she couldn't stop her chuckle upon seeing her friend Margie having her pillowfight at the bed with her supposed kids and husband. Boy seems to have a hidden grudge at her friend as he wrestled her, almost burying her
underneath the blankets.
Margie shot her a warning look upon hearing her laughter, mouthing at her, 'You owe me one'
JC called her attention minutes later signalling her to be ready after Margie and Boy finished their first set.
"Should I do it like this?" Mario asked he was tying her apron. "Or like this?"
Mario confesed to her that this would be his first shooting ever so she quite understand his nervousness.
"Can you guys do it more natural?" the director asked Mario as he awkwardly holds the knife in his hands unaware that it is now pointing at her, "Come on you're not trying to kill her."
She swore she heard a clearing of throat and some snickers at the side at this as Mario put the knife away, embarassed.
Their scene were supposed to be a sweet couple enjoying cooking at the kitchen.
Deciding to get this over with, she took the lead as she step a little bit closer to him, hovering at his shoulder as she pretend to look at whay he's supposed to be cooking and then stare at the poor guy sweetly, making him blush.
"Okay! You're doing good, " she heard the camera man shouted as continues click from the camera can be heard from the background..
"Okay, now Mr. Mario can you put your arms around her?"
The sound of someone clearing his throat again can be heard at the background, turning to the direction, she saw Nadech being asked by her staff if he's okay and was given a water bottle.
'He must not be feeling well' she thought as she has heard him all through out this morning as if something stucks on his throat.
"Is this okay?" Mario asked her as he wraps his arms around her in a back hug.
Before she could answer, the director suddenly called break and as she turn to ask why, she saw Nadech coming towards them with Margie and Boy in tow. Before anyone could stop him, he had pulled Mario away rather roughly.
"There's an emergency" he said to Mario, showing him something in his phone, Nadech quickly hides his phone away when she too tried to peak "You need to go home now quickly"
"But-" Mario tried to protest, pouting cutely.
"He can't" she too interrupted them, "I need him"
"See!" Mario's face lit up like a child given his favorite sweet, "She says she needs me!"
He gloated in Nadech's direction who don't have any expression on his handsome face.
Nadech with his blank face usually got her more scared because she can't read him when he's like this.
Well, It's not like she can still do that.
Eversince she got back, she thought he had been different, something had change in him and he wasn't the same Nadech she knew of. Heck, she havent even call him Bear or Barry since her return.
"Erm- I think he really need to go now" Margie cuts in worriedly that made her immediately turn to her friend's direction.
'What? After all the hardwork in getting her model?'
Her friend just shook her head and ignore her glare.
"Come on kiddo-" Boy quickly interrupted them, ruffling Mario's hair and dragging him away "You need to go before an even bigger emergency happen"
"Wait!" Mario desperately got out from his cousin's manhandling and had gotten to her before anyone could stop him, he had gotten out his phone, "Let me just take a selfie"
Sighing she give in Mario's request and posed before he got dragged away by his cousin again.
"Now I need to find another model" she sighed, annoyed at the turn of events,
"Where can I find someone ASAP?"
Turning to Margie, she asked her friend if she knew someone suitable for the role as it can't just be anyone. They need someone influencial and of course famous to attract attention.
"What about your old friend Alex?"
Margie suggested, shrugging at her.
"I already contacted him and he says he can't" Yaya muttered, busy with her phone as she scrolled down her contacts, "Conflicting with his lakorn schedule."
"Hmmm... how about the cutie James Ji? Didn't you do photoshoot with him before?" Margie asked laughing as she remember something, "For sure he will agree, that poor guy used to follow you like a puppy"
"James Ji?" Boy whistled walking towards them after sending Mario off, "Man he's a big celebrity around here, plus he's handsome like me. He's a big catch" he added, nodding his approval
"Not available" Yaya answered sighing, "And did you forget Margie? He avoid me now like I had the plague"
"Oh right" Margie said unthinking, "Wonder what happen to the poor guy?"
"Must have been scared by the big bad wolf" Boy replied nonchalantly
His statement was then followed by 'omph' and Yaya turned to find Boy holding his stomach and Margie snickering at the background.
"What?" Yaya asked, confused
"Did I say something?" Boy said innocently, "I said he might have been scared his BIG reputation might go BAD. You know how the industry works here"
She looked at her friend doubtly, she was sure she heard him say 'Big bad wolf' but it doesn't make sense so she just let it go.
"Wait I know!" Margie shouted with glee, "What about Nickhun? You know that baby faced guy we met during the fashion show in New York? He says he is from Thailand right?"
"The 'baby faced guy' told me he's not available right now because he's at South Korea" Yaya raised her two fingers quoting at the word baby face.
"Nickhun oppa? " Boy reacted, imitating the girls who's been infected with the kpop fever "Another catch! I am so proud, my shy little girl has grown up now and have many friends"
She make face at Boy as he teased her. It was true though that she doesn't have many friends before, if not none at all and just Kim until Nadech comes along.
Nadech sighed loudly as if he's got the whole world aroumd his shoulders and spoke at her for the first time since he got there, "I'll do it"
Yaya turned to look at him, surprised just as Margie and Boy snickers at the background.
"Another volunteer eh?" Boy said as he and Margie hi five, their snickers turned into laughter as Nadech glared at the two and turn to her instead.
"I'll be your partner."
It's not like she hadn't think of it before, it's just that according to her research, Nadech has been one of the most private person in the business and he doesn't like his pictures being taken without permission. He even avoided interviews and only participated when he's with the family.
As far as she knows, he always like to be the man behind the camera instead of being the model.
"A-are you sure?"
For a moment, she thought she was back with her 16 years old self as she stutters at him.
"Do you have a problem with that? " Nadech asked her, his gaze so intense that she had to look away, "I am your last option anyway"
With that, he 'tsked' and walked out to the changing area.
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"Na" Yaya stepped closer to Nadech and wiped off his sweaty forehead as he was busy mixing something on his bowl.
cr. to NYInterFC
"You're sweating"
"Good!" The director clapped his hands "Are you two dating or something? That's just too natural"
"He's like my brother"
Before Nadech could react, Yaya already turn around and continued chopping off with her knife rather messily.
She wanted to smack herself, 'She had gotten over him hadn't she? 7 years abroad and it took less than a month of seeing him again to bring back her old feelings.
Damn it, she is hopeless she can feel herself blushing at her actions.
For a moment, she had forgotten they were in a shooting as seeing Nadech just like this brought her back to the good old days when they used to cook together.
She heard a gasp from somewhere before she find herself trapped in his arms, her back pressed to his chest as he gently took her hand that is chopping messily and help her.
"Be careful" he whispered after he 'tsked' and guided her suddenly shivering hands, "You might cut yourself"
Is he serious? Because honestly, she felt more prone to danger when he's close to her like this as she felt her heart beating fast and she can't think a thing to save herself.
"That's it!" the director shouted with glee at his models.
Nadech and Yaya look at each other at this, as she motioned at him to let go. She only felt him shrug and smile at her cheekily instead.
"What?" he asked at her look of confusion, "You are not my sister"
And the inevitable happen as she indeed cut herself.
"Ya!"
Nadech quickly took her bleeding finger to his mouth and suck it off as the director now clapped his hands, thinking they were still acting.
"Oh my God! You two are the bomb!" he stated with obvous delight. "I can't believe this. You two had more chemistry than those couple in the tv shows"
She barely notice the director's praise as Nadech took all her attention. She felt goosebumps in her arms at the feeling of her finger in his mouth as he gently suck it.
Is it wrong if she find it kinda sexy? Shs think she really had to go to temple for thinking such unholy thoughts.
"Does it hurt?" Nadech asked her worriedly while checking if her finger is still bleeding.
She need to do something fast before she do something she'll regret forever.
Taking a handfull of flour, she throws it to his face and laugh at his shocked expression.
She heard him growl as his expression turn from shock into naughty one as he too took the whole bowl he was mixing earlier
"Uh-oh" she thought as she quickly escaped from him and went into the other end of the counter top, laughing all the way
"You've started it" he said before running after her.
With that, the two had lost themselves in their play, forgetting they were supposed to be in a photoshoot as peals of laughter can be heard with both of them ending up sticky with flour and the perfectly clean kitchen a mess.
-----
"Are you sure, you two are just really friends?" Yoghurt asked her, browsing through the pictures of her photoshoot with Nadech yesterday. Thankfully, it had gone out smoothly and won't need a re-shoot.
"As platonic as a boy and girl can be, Just look at how Nadech look at her" Margie replied in a sarcastic tone earning her a smack in the arm from her pillow."What? I just voiced out what I see. This is a free country"
During lunchtime, Yaya had introduced Margie to her new friends and co workers as she brought them foods and go over their earlier project in the lounge.
However, Yaya had no appetite so she just brought her sketchpad to had at least some of her work done instead. Sitting comfortably on the sofa, she began to draw her ideas.
"You've got some real chemistry going on here" Petra said as she and JC hovered on Yoghurts shoulder, "I bet you can give famous koo jin a run from their money if ever you two decided to act in a lakorn"
"Have you ever considered going over beyond the line?" JC nodded enthusiastically "By any chance, you two aren't hiding a secret affair and would only announce it when you're engaged like the famous couple from South Korea?"
"Hey" Yaya defended herself, busying herself with sketching the interior of her other on going project, "Don't say that. He's like my older brother"
Unbeknown to her, the four other girls looked up at her protest, each had an 'Are you serious' and 'WTF?' expression all over their face'
"Excuse me but that is just so wrong in so many levels" Margie interrupted her with a shudder, "If my brother ever look at me that way, I would run the opposite direction as fast as I can and avoid him for a year or two until he had his sh*t together."
"If that were MY brother, I would bring him to the nearest church, sprinkle him with holy water to exorcise him and force him to stay in the monastery for a year or two." Yoghurt added animatedly, earning the others approval as they chuckled at the girls reaction.
"Let me tell you something, after the incident 5 years ago, boss had never been link from any woman aside those baseless rumours eversince he entered the industry that he is considered as the most elusive bachelor because he's motto is business business business, in fact, you were the first woman he allow to take a photoshoot with!"
'He must not have move on from her then' Yaya thought sadly at her friends statement.
"Girl, if anyone can make him move on it would be you!" JC replied at Yaya as she realized she must have said her thought out loud. "It's obvious that he likes you!"
But that's a territorry she didn't dare step in.
Annoyed at her friends teasing, she bowed down her head and just continued her sketch instead.
It wasn't until someone put a plate with her favorite pasta in front of her did she noticed the room had gone considerably quiet.
Looking up, she saw Nadech crouch down as he sets up the her favorite foods in the cofee table in front of her, making her mouth water.
"You work too hard, I heard you're not eating well"
Ignoring her friends around her as they had 'I told you so' look all over their face, she turn to him instead.
"Oh my God! Where did you get this?"
Back then, they used to eat at this really old restaurant that for her sells the most delicious pasta she had ever tasted.
She felt Nadech sat at the arm of the sofa she's sitting as he stares at her.
"Hmm" she groaned, savoring the taste, "I miss this! This just taste exactly like from our old place! "
Nadech just smiled at her and wiped the sauce on the side of her lips with his thumb, earning a squeal from the other girls in the room as he brought his thumb to his mouth.
"Err- do we have to leave you two alone?" Margie teased them, sending her suggestive looks.
Blushing, she shook her head and glared at her friend as she offered the food who only shook their head in unison as they've just eaten from the food that Margie brought earlier.
"Just forget we are here too or something" Yoghurt added as they pretended to be busy.
"What are you working on?" Nadech shrugged at them and turn to her, browsing her sketchpad.
She proceeded to tell him the details of her ideas on the interior of her other on-going construction.
"This would be the shared area and I'm planning on putting a pool here or a gym for additional amenities, you know to attract people."
She droned on and on as he listen and put his input and opinion, voicing out if he didn't like the idea.
This is one more thing she like about him. She always enjoyed her talks with him as she find him with the same wavelength. He is someone who get her and will not judge her.
He don't just agree on everything she said and rather had his own opinion but in the end, they would still come up with something where they can both agree.
"You work too hard"
Lunchtime were nearing its end and her officemates already got back to their post, leaving her and Nadech alone in the lounge. Before she could follow them, Nadech stopped her, holding her arm.
She felt something cold touch her skin and as she looked down, she saw him put on her wrist a louis vuitton collector watch.
"I never get to give you this" he said, holding her hand to inspect it. "This is supposed to be your high school graduation gift. Use it now so you won't forget to take your meals on time okay" he said with a final tap on the watch, flashing her his dimpled smile and swiftly leaves her with mixed emotion.
Damn it, she really don't get him now. Yaya thumped her fastly beating heart as if scolding it. 'He doesn't like you like that remember?'
Just as always, she had to make sure she's in the reality. 'He's your brother' she repeated in a silent mantra as if she'll believe it if she says it again and again.
Well, she might not believe it but it would certainly kill the hope that is starting to grow in her heart.
Her friendship with Nadech is what she considered as the best thing that happened in her life. She's promised to herself she'd never gonna do anything to risk it and that includes in hiding her one sided love for him.
Besides, after everything she's been through, she doesn't think she can handle it if the one person she cares the most rejects her too.
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Bonus Yaya & Nadech at the kitchen set
cr. to NYInterFC
Author's note:
As always, I'd like to hear feedback from readers. It's just good to know that someone else is enjoying my NY outlet.
Next chap might be next week ? I dunno, have to find time first
to compensate to the drawbacks of LR
According to him, she is her sister
Its because NY are getting open about their relationship..
