"They announced that they'll remove the track from OST?" Felicity asked manager Guan while they were on call.
"Should we request them to put it back?" Manager Guan was against it but if Felicity wanted, he would have made such a request. Unexpectedly, Felicity was the one who recommended them to add the track as an ost into that show, so if she asks him to request them to put it back, he'll suck up his ego and put forward the request.
"No, no need. We've milked the drama enough. Whether they keep it as an ost or not, won't promote or affect our song anymore. We don't need them," Felicity shook her head, the show won't bring them any more popularity. Plus, once the whole thing concludes, Kiazika will have enough popularity and base to support her future music.
"It was the lead actress who pressured the crew," Manager Guan informed, he knew how Felicity was vengeful...so was he. The drama suddenly cutting off its ties with Kiazika meant that it was indirectly supporting the accusations of Kiazika using autotune. It was not only them who benefited from this collaboration, even the show gained benefits. Now they were just abandoning Kiazika in her lows?
"Do you have any proof?" Felicity trusted manager Guan, she believed what he said but they needed proof if they wanted to do something with this information. From whatever she knew about Gina after reading the book, this was not unexpected.
Gina in the novel with weak but strong-willed, she placed her morals above anything else. Regardless of how many people opposed her or how much it might put her in trouble, she always did what she thought was 'right'.
However, in the novel, she was a female lead so things always went in her favor in the end. Her protagonist halo was strong and always proved her right but this wasn't the plot of the novel anymore and Gina wasn't right.
Honestly, to Felicity, it was a bit worrying that they might fall, victim to the heroine's halo, if they go against her too much but this was a risk she was willing to take. She trusted herself and now she considered herself to be sheltered under male lead shadow as well.
"Someone from the production crew leaked it," Manager Guan understood without a pause what Felicity meant.
"Try to cover it up for now, but keep tabs on that production crew member," Felicity spoke with confidence. They had the chess board ready and their pawns in their place, now all that was left was to lead the game, the way they planned and checkmate the opponent.
"Have you been monitoring the situation?" Felicity decided to check on what was happening on the internet.
"Yes, she's getting trashed all over the internet. Looks like someone is furling the whole situation from behind the scenes," manager Guan spoke grimly. Temp'O was really trying to push Kiazika in the corner and take a hit at RED at the same time. They wanted to ride this wind and knock out their competitor.
"Help that person to put so much fuel that the fire burns too bright to not notice," Felicity smirked and instructed to go along with them. You know how to make someone fall in the worst way possible? It's to make them believe they're safe and take them higher. When they'll be full of ecstasy and feeling like they've won, sweep the rug off their feet swiftly. This way, the fall would be so hard that they'll not be able to recover.
"Are you sure about this," Manager Guan asked. He wasn't aware of what evidence Felicity has gotten her hands on yet so he was worried if it was a risk worth taking.
"Trust me," Felicity assured. The risk was worth taking.
"Where are you taking me, Alexander," Felicity spoke as she stared out of the car window. The blue and red lights along with the headlights of cars passing by were like orbs of splendid haze. They would dazzle her eyes as they drew nearer and as they passed by them, they would suddenly disappear through the corners of the window.
The inside of the car was cozy but the warmth inside was always in a constant quarrel with the chilly winds from outside. One side of Felicity's body was warm while the other had goosebumps from the cold.
She squinted her eyes one last time and closed the window. As soon as the window was shut, the car turned cozy again. She took a deep breath, the fragrance of sandalwood filled her nostrils and seeped inside her senses.
The man beside her looked casual in this cream turtleneck and black jeans. The turtleneck sweater looked cute but his chiseled features gave him an edge. His face and his clothes looked completely in contrast.
"Surprise," he spoke calmly and did not take his attention away from the road.
"No Alex, I don't like surprises," basically because she couldn't rest her curiosity.
"Please relax, you'll find out soon," Alexander chuckled and spend up the car.
True to his words, he parked the car in front of his destination and escorted Felicity out of the car. She held his hand and walked towards the entrance of a large gate that had a dog and a joker ok the sides. It was littered with bright neon decorations, making it look funky and childish.
"What is this?" She asked curiously as she stared at the weird door.
"You've been working too hard since the whole ordeal, you don't take enough rest or any breaks so I thought I should help you relax," Alexander took his hand out of her grip and placed both of them on her shoulders and he held them tightly and warmly.
Felicity had once told her how she had never been to an amusement park all her life so he thought he should introduce her to the thrills of going on tall rides, scary haunted houses and fast rollercoasters.
"In an amusement park," he spoke.
Felicity's eyes turned towards the park with sparkles in them. When she was young, nobody ever took her to amusement parks and when she grew older, she felt like she couldn't go there because they were meant for only children The thought of going on rides was strangely embarrassing so she never went.
"I rented the whole thing," seeing her frown, he immediately spoke as if he could read her mind.
"What? Really?" Her eyes turned into googly ones in a second. She looked like a small child with anticipation and excitement in her bright black eyes.
"Yes," he nodded and took her in.
Turned out the gate was just the tip of the iceberg, the inside of the park was even more gorgeous. Bright lights were everywhere along with big structures. She looked at each and every ride till her eyes paused at the Ferris wheel that she had only seen in the movies.
"Let's go on the Ferris wheel first," she spoke excitedly and literally dragged him to wherever she wanted.
I love amusement parks," Felicity cried happily, her blood was currently fused with all the happy hormones. She felt dazed as if she was still on those rides. Her feets kept bouncing with a huge grin plastered on her face.
"Hahaha," Alexander chuckled as he tried to mask his horrible expressions. Usually his stomach wasn't so weak but today he realized that going on so many rides, back to back made him want to throw up.
Felicity however did not notice it, instead, she just kept laughing...
Suddenly a thought crossed her mind and she could not stop her impulse. She looked at him and paused before she spoke up.
"Alex, I have a secret. Should I tell you?" This time all the laughing was seized and when Alexander turned to look at her, she was just staring at him with all her seriousness.
The jolly atmosphere changed and for no reason whatsoever, he felt a lingering dread pass through his spine as if something bad was about to happen.
"Hmm," he took a pause before nodding.
"You know Ryan Cheng? Dr. Ryan. Your and big bro's friend. I've been dating him for some time now," as if a clap of thunder had stuck on him, his alertness went on an all time high as the feeling of nausea took over his senses.
His flickering eyes turned into chilly storms as they stared at her, his jaw ticked while his hands clenched onto air and nothingness. All these responses were reflexes.
The dread was seeping into his spine, and so was the feeling of being something snatched away from him. For worse, something that wasn't his to begin with. These emotions were so foreign to him that that he did not even realise what was going on until he took in what she just said and everything dawned upon him.
His subconscious brain told him to grab her and take her away. Put her in a cage, tie her up and snatch her back from the world. His gag, however, snapped his out of it, he controlled himself quickly in time and to Felicity, these changes happened in a such short span of time that she didn't catch them for what they were.
She just felt like something was wrong but didn't know what. Did she make a mistake?
"Let's go on the boat one," Alexander turned back to being calm as he pointed towards a ride in a faraway distance. However, he wasn't the only only one who knew Felicity that well, Felicity knew him well too.
"Why are you so silent? You've been like this because I told you my secret," she spoke her doubt and stared at him with worry in her eyes. Alexander looked like he was shocked but his eyes were suddenly so cold and distant that for a second she felt like he was someone else or it was a side of him that she had never seen that he had just unleashed. There was nothing too off about it but at the same time her guts told her it was.
"I was just shocked," He shook his head and took a calm breath in. Felicity stared at him skeptically but gradually nodded her head.
Slowly he was regaining his consciousness more too.
He stared at her, her bright black eyes were misty. They had light wrinkles beside them that would grow deeper every time she smiled brightly. Her fair face had a bit of baby fat, especially in the cheeks. Her cheeks usually glittered in peach blush that would come naturally to her. Her small button like nose would scrunch up every time she found something disgusting.
And her lips...her lips were pink as if they were painted with beetroot juice by gods above. He wanted to put his own red lips on them..kiss them..taste them...
But more than that, he wanted a smile to always adorn her pink lips. Always, even when he wasn't the one reflected in those black eyes. Even if he wasn't around or nearby.
Even if it was some other man...
His hands clenched.
"Ohh," Felicity felt it was strange but she still nodded and started walking towards the right in the far off right corner of the park. As she took a step forward, a voice came from her behind.
"Ryan Cheng...is a good guy. He's mature and gentle. He can take care of you but if you ever feel like it, you can come and talk to me whenever you want," the voice rang admist the chilly winds and neon hues.
Clouds littered like smoke rings near the horizon as the moon smoldered through a thin winter fog. Felicity smiled and looked at the Ferris wheel they had gone to. A thick and dense coldness hung in the air while warm breath from their mouths turned into white smoke and tangled up together over their heads.
Felicity's cheeks flushed in embarrassment as she heard the praise of her lover from the mouth of her friend.
She didn't turn around in order to hide her crimson cheeks.
"I know, I never expected, we'll ever have this conversation but thank you, Alex. You're not like as I once thought u were," Felicity smiled gently and spoke what was in her mind.
A year ago, when she had found herself in the body of Felicity, if someone had told her that they would someday become so close, she would have puked in their faces.
Heck, she never thought arrogant Alexander would be someone she would call her best friend...but here they were...like this.
It made her happy.
"I'm trying to become...better," nobody noticed the small crack in his voice as he spoke the last word.
"It's working," she nodded, still facing forward and started walking.
Behind her, Alexander sighed as he thanked God that Felicity did not turn back.
The night sky was glowing while the pale crescent moon shone like a lover's face in the night sky. The blanket of stars that stretched to infinity were like a promise of solidarity to a lonesome soul. Two people stood near each other in frigid and numbing cold, both of their thoughts were so abstract yet overwhelming and revolting.
They both hid something from the other one.
He watched the thin back of the girl, and he just realized, he loved walking away into some distance.
He raised his hands and gently wiped the tears that had betrayed him and managed to escape.
As long as she's happy.