CHAPTER 1 UNEXPECTED ENCOUNTER

What are the odds that you meet different kinds of people in your life?

They said that there is a 5% chance in the world that you get to see the person you hate the most coincidentally in the streets, another 5% to the people who wanted to see us, then there is a 10% chance you see the person you want to see the most and 80% chance that you simply meet strangers.

In his case, just when he thought he was over it, then there came the test of fate, in a most peculiar and annoying chance in life, he met the man he hated and also loved.

Loved, yes loved, he once loved him, but does he still feel the same? Will he be able to walk past him without his heart-wrenching like the world was about to end if he won’t turn his back and catch a glimpse of him even for a few more seconds?

Love is such a vast emotion and it is so hard to tell when we all stopped loving the person we once thought was our everything and the person we can never live without.

Elijah never had a thought that on his first day back in the country, the first person he would encounter on his new film’s audition was the man he dreaded and also subconsciously longed for.

He couldn’t tell what to say or feel when the man himself acted as if they were still at least acquaintances, but can mere acquaintances have memories that no one would ever think it was something romantic, explicitly and mind-blowingly unforgettable.

On a hot summer afternoon of March 1st in the Capital City of Vinet Country, Elijah stepped out of the private plane that his brother had prepared for his trip back to the country.

He was planning to stay for a while, but he was back mainly because of his friend’s request to have him Direct the Movie that he wanted to film for the upcoming celebration of PRIDE month.

The script was written by his friend’s girlfriend and Elijah, as a kind man, accepted his request also because it is a great book and he could somehow feel the pain of the protagonist of the Movie.

Elijah is a famous Director from the States, he was known for his strong and meaningful films that people of all ages love. He had never directed a movie that flopped, he always made sure that everything was perfect from the actors down to the very last detail.

With these waiting for him, Elijah returned to his home country with his assistant. The news of his return soon erupted and countless fans were waiting for him at the airport. He didn’t want to go and meet them at first, but it was a known fact between people in the industry that your fans are your responsibility.

Elijah fished his phone from his pocket and posted it on his social media account. Having hundreds of thousands of followers, Elijah was well-loved and accepted. People knew of his gender and some of them even linked him with countless people who they deem as ‘suitable’ for him.

‘On my way out of the airport, please be mindful of your safety and please do not push each other, be mindful of your noises. I will be just passing by and talking for a few seconds and having a group picture with everyone since I would need to leave for work at once. Misbehave and I won’t come out.’

@ljhcllhn 2:38 pm Vinet International Airport

Within a few seconds, thousands of replies were posted and his fans soon promised that they would behave before him. Having received their word, Elijah walked out of the arrival hall, and even from far away, he could see a group of people, with different races and genders, even ranges of age standing holding neatly designed banners and photographs of his face and his name.

They were excitedly waving in his direction, trying to catch his attention. Elijah commends their characters as they did as they promised, waiting for him patiently and not causing any ruckus, they stood on a neat line from smallest to tallest and as Elijah arrived in front of them, those who wanted to give gifts were handed over from the back then straight to him, he accepted them without delay and handed them to his assistant who had a pushcart with all their luggage piled up.

“Sir Elijah! You look so handsome!”

“No pretty!”

“Ahh just by his stares I feel like I am getting pregnant!” one of them joked earning a chuckle from everyone, Elijah helplessly shook his head and shrugged his shoulders while shaking the hands of the ones who offered theirs.

Once everyone settled, Elijah bowed his head and had his assistant hand them each a souvenir in which he picked himself. It was a habit that he got from the states that wherever he goes he would bring a thousand souvenirs with him, most of them varying from keychains to bracelets or rings. It was his way of giving back to his fans.

He thinks that as a Director, he is unusually having a pretty much large fanbase when all he did was direct, some of his actors even jested that he was far more popular than them and earns envy most of the time from his peers.

“Thank you for your patience, waiting for me on such a hot day, please be reminded of your health and to all the gifts I received, I hope none of them is expensive because I will surely return them to you. In a few seconds, we will have a group picture then after that, the crew I assigned will start giving out the souvenirs I got, pardon me since I won’t be able to do it in person as I am in a rush right now and have to attend a meeting. As always, I am happy to see everyone.”

“Ahh~ we are happy to see you too, Director Elijah! EliJon for the win!”

“No~ team CelJah!”

“Shush, no need to argue, as you all know that I am certainly not having plans into dating those men, so you can stop with your ships and focus on your studies, work, or whatever it is. I am but a humble Director everyone.”

Elijah breathed a sigh of helplessness as he listened to these people fangirling over him and his past actors from his films.

His fans had once said that he, Elijah, just looked so pretty and handsome, even up to the point of earning a nickname, Director pretty boy from them since he was deemed more beautiful than most of the lead actresses in the films. Some of the actors even spoke of their interest in him.

He was accepted for liking men and women and none of his fans were against this since most of them are so-called ‘fujoshis’.

fujoshi- the Japanese term for female fans who enjoy any media works or fanworks with romantic relationships between men, typically yaoi.

“Alright, everyone scoot over to fit in the frame, have a big smile!” Elijah announced as he positioned himself in the middle of the group squatting while he was surrounded by his male and female fans.

“Smile as if you saw our pretty boy with a man KISSING!” a fan from the back shouted and as if on cue, everyone was laughing and having fun while Elijah’s face slightly darkened without anyone noticing.

After Elijah thanked them one more time, he got in his car and the look of seriousness was on his face for a very long time. He was muddled during the ride and just when he got back to his sanity, something unexpected happened that would haunt him for days.

After he got out of his car, they arrived at the venue where the audition was happening. The place was crowded with fans of the actors inside and some were just arriving, some of them knew him as well and the whole place became a war zone as screams from all sides resounded.

He peeked through his peripheral vision and saw who was the person behind those screams, a tall man around 6’4 height, his hair was as dark as a shadow with soft curls on each end, skin resembling that of a precious ocean pearl.

His broad masculine body added up to his already oozing appeal, wearing a fairly idol-ish style, black turtle neck highlighting his well-toned body just from the obvious marks it makes. Gray long coat reached up to his feet and a pair of glasses to protect his eyes from the sunlight.

Elijah was annoyed and with one look from him, the place turned quiet and they behaved like small puppies reprimanded. His heart was raging so loudly as he recognized who the man was, he gave it his best not to rush over and talk to the man and turned his back at once.

He has to go.

Satisfied with the silence, Elijah nodded his head at them and walked towards the stairs, acting normal, while the others returned to what they were doing before but much more organized and behaved.

Just when Elijah was about to turn to the stairs to the left side, someone accidentally bumped into him and caused him to fall straight down the stairs.

Everything seemed like it was in slow motion, his body turning light and the sudden appearance of big slender hands reaching out to him, stopping his fall.

He could hear the people shouting and calling his name as he felt like his body had turned into a piece of paper, falling.

Closing his eyes and bracing himself for the impact, Elijah did not expect that with the loud and terrifying thud, he felt the strong arms wrapped around his body and the soft wet sensation pressed against his lips.

The scent of the familiar musk warped around his nose, waking him from his daze.

It’s him!

TBC

Maple Writes

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