You benefitted the most from his suggestion. Fake dating one of the top actors in the country and leeching off his fame only to boost your own career? It was undoubtedly selfish on your part for agreeing, and honestly he had barely anything to gain from this situation. Getting rid of a few stubborn stalkers doesn't seem fair compared to the endless brand deals, magazine covers, and casting calls you were receiving just from being near him. You were just a small, nameless actor who'd been handed the dream life on a golden platter. You'd be a fool to refuse.
Dating him is pretty easy. All you needed to do was spend time together publicly for a few hours, let the paparazzi snap their pictures and then go your separate ways. So far you've been to the movies, the beach, cafe hopping, shopping... the most classic date ideas, straight from a rom-com. 'The fans will love it. Sells the whole idea,' he whispers into your ear, creating another photo op for the press.
He was also a really, really, good actor. Playing the role of boyfriend came so naturally to him.
He'd plan a date, send the details over to you, make all the necessary arrangements (secretly tipping off the paparazzi), and wait outside your apartment to pick you up fifteen minutes before on the day. When you'd meet him downstairs, asking if he had waited very long, he would claim he had just arrived a minute before, all while naturally opening the passenger side door for you. During the drive to your date, he'd pass you the gift that he picked up on the way. Sometimes it would be a fresh bouquet of your favourite flowers, and others would be a gift that reminded him of you. A cute keychain, a little plush toy, or a lovely box of chocolates. During the date, he'd never let go of your hand unless it was to place it around your waist or on the small of your back, guiding you through the crowd of fans and journalists. He'd insist on 'giving the people what they want' before planting a kiss on your cheek, your forehead or the back of your hand, or any other place but your sweet lips. "Those are reserved just for me," he'd reply with a wink when the diehard fans scream for a real kiss. When you finally make it home, just before you say your goodbyes, he'd pull you into his arms, burrrowing his face into the crook of your neck as if trying to commit you to memory, savouring every moment of your touch to last him enough till the next time he'd see you again.
It's the ideal arrangement. All the frills of dating, minus the commitment and risk. Once your popularity has risen enough, the both of you would amicably call it quits and never see each other again.
The only complaint was his clingyness. You never expected him to be so...attached. With every date, it would take longer and longer for him to say goodbye to you after dropping you home. He'd make all sorts of excuses to try and linger around you just a while longer. Even after you wave him off, he'd text you one minute later, asking if you got to your apartment safely. Throughout the week, his texting would be almost incessant, asking about your day and what you were up to. Have you eaten? Where are you now? Are you with anybody right now? When you don't reply him within ten minutes, then the calling begins. He'd blame it on the paranoia the stalkers had given him, he's only worried they might target you, that's all.
And if you get annoyed or angry at him, he'll be a quivering, teary mess as he begs for a second chance, promising to never upset you again. He can do better, let him prove it to you. He'll be good for you, he swears! At one point, he started kneeling in front of you, in his own house, while you sat on his ridiculously expensive vintage leather couch, glaring down at him as he pleaded for your forgiveness. It gets a bit much, dealing with him, really.
Yet, each time, you end up relenting. Just this once, you tell yourself, as you let yourself be engulfed in a tight hug. Those puppy eyes were just too effective on you. And you were weak to his begging.
yan actor! who finally gets a chance to star in a drama with you and can barely contain his excitement. ever since he spotted you on set all those years ago, he'd set his goals towards being on screen with you. working non-stop for years, accumulating fame and influence within the industry and becoming one of the top actors in the country, all so that he could have the power to make this possible.
yan actor! who has zero regrets about pouring all that money into making the drama series possible. calling in every favour he could to cast you as his co-star, bribing the screenwriter to change the genre to a rom-com, and buttering up the director to get everything to go exactly as he wished.
yan actor! who almost faints when he finally meets you up close during the initial table read for the drama, internally gushing over how you shook his hand and said you were a fan of his work. you!! you knew him! you recognised him, and remembered him enough to be a fan! caught off guard, he stuttered like a fool as he scrambled to find the right words to respond with.
yan actor! who struggles to concentrate during the table read, barely able to comprehend the words in front of him when you're sitting right next to him, reading aloud the confession scene. oh how he wished you were truly confessing to him...
yan actor! who finally gets himself together when filming begins. he doesn't want to give you the impression that he wasn't serious about his work, so he truly gave it his all during his scenes, proving he was worthy of being hailed as a top actor.
yan actor! who cannot help himself but indulge in the romantic scenes he has with you. purposely messing up his lines or insisting that he can do better if they take it from the top just one more time. let him hold your hand a little longer, kiss you once more or give you one last hug.
yan actor! who visits your trailer during breaks to "ask for advice". what should he be feeling in this scene? how can he portray his character better? he's still new to all this, he insists. what better way to learn than from asking someone as experienced as you?
yan actor! who feigns shock when you tell him this was your first lead role in years. of course he knew this, he'd been keeping up with every release you starred in. every minor role, even the smallest production, he'd watch it all as long as it featured you.
yan actor! who insists he still can learn from you. didn't you seen him fumble his lines? or how stiff he was during certain scenes? he's in an acting slump and he really, really needs your help! pretty please?
yan actor! who beams in delight when you end up agreeing to giving him extra practice. he flips the script to a particular scene, passing it to you. he watches as the realisation sinks in, this was the scene where his character finally realises his feelings... followed by a deep and passionate kiss with your character.
yan actor! who begins his part before you could back out of it, the desperation and longing in his eyes looking a bit too real for your liking. as the scene neared the climax, he caressed your face with one hand, ignoring your weak protests. his lips soon find yours, eager and relentless, devouring you like a man starved.
yan actor! who breaks away from you, panting and flushed. "can we try that again? i forgot my lines..." he pleads.
yan actor! who's not afraid to cling to you on set in front of the crew, secretly fueling the dating rumours.
yan actor! who doesn't bother hiding his feelings for you anymore. during press interviews and filming variety content, all he talks about is you. at one point, an interviewer asked for each of your ideal types and all he replied with was "I'm right next to mine right now."
yan actor! who only smiles as you stare at him in shock. is he doing all this just to promote the show? you recover quickly, before giving a nondescript answer with an awkward laugh.
yan actor! whose answer makes him (and you) go viral overnight. fans flock to your socials, your follower count surpassing numbers you could even imagine. some even start posting compilations of their favourite moments, creating fan edits and fan art. it's not long before people begin to demand more from the 'black cat and golden retriever' couple, and so you can't help but start to play along with his "couple-y" behaviour during interviews.
yan actor! who proposes fake dating to further promote the ongoing release of the series. it'll be mutually beneficial, he insists as he gives you those puppy eyes.
yan actor! who's determined to be the best (fake) boyfriend of all time. sometimes you even forget the whole thing is a sham, with how much of a natural he is. texting you constantly, bringing you to romantic dates, publicly displaying how absolutely smitten he is with you (so that the papparazzi has something to work with, he reassures).
yan actor! who doesn't mind you not knowing about all the effort he put into making this relationship happen, who doesn't mind you thinking it's all a lie. he's happy enough with the fact that he can be with you.
one day you'll finally see how real his feelings for you are.
