CHAPTER 6

I was in a great mood until we arrived at the studio. It was the second day of rehearsals, and the studio was bustling with people.

I noticed Wendy was there too, as she needed to rehearse with Grantt for their song production.

Currently, we were in the rehearsal room. While Wendy was engrossed in conversation with Venice, I seized the chance to sit next to Grantt. It was the first time we had sat together in this room; usually, we kept our distance.

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Wendy glancing in our direction. I feigned busyness with my phone, while Grantt appeared deeply focused on memorizing the tune and lyrics of their song.

After a few minutes, Wendy also approached us and had no option but to take an empty seat in front of us.

"Grantt, take a look at this. Which one do you think looks better?" I casually asked him.

He glanced at me and then at my phone, clearly taken aback by my casual tone, which was unusual when his singing partner was around.

"Couches?"

"Hmmm, for the house. It's been years since I last replaced those," I casually remarked. I didn't mention that it was our house, so there was no need for him to worry.

"Uhm, how about this one? Looks cool," he pointed to the dark green. I nodded in agreement since that was also my choice.

"Ohh, I like that too," I smiled and replied. He seemed momentarily surprised.

"Your future spouse is lucky, Ma'am Yongsann," Wendy chimed in. We both turned to look at her.

"Eh? Why?" I inquired.

"Because it seems like you're ready to settle down. I mean, you're preparing. Your future spouse won't have to worry too much."

I resisted the urge to raise an eyebrow. It was as if she were suggesting that my future spouse would take advantage of me.

Did she think I would agree to that kind of arrangement? Even now, the only contribution I made to our house with Grantt was a bedsheet.

"Well, maybe not exactly like that, Wend. I wouldn't agree to being solely responsible for our home. If I'm the one who takes care of the kitchen, then he should buy the kitchenware. If I buy the bed, then he should get the pillows and bedsheets. We'll both live in the house, not just me," I explained at length.

I felt Grantt's playful pinch from behind, which only fueled my desire to tease him and his girlfriend.

"What about you, Wend? Are you ready to settle down?" I asked the girl, clearly catching her off guard.

"Uh, I don't know. Right now, it's all about my career," she replied. It was as if she didn't even acknowledge Grantt as her boyfriend, despite them kissing in front of me. Why was she acting so shy now?

Before I could continue, the door to the RR opened, and we all turned our heads. Kenth walked in, and it was clear that he came looking for me.

As soon as he saw me, he approached and playfully pinched my cheek.

"Ouch! You're such a pain! What are you doing here?" I retorted. He just laughed and pulled me up, taking a seat next to Grantt.

"Hey, buddy," he greeted Grantt.

"Hey, buddy," Grantt replied.

"The BHE is becoming more high-profile because of you guys. Oh, hi, Wendy," he turned to the woman, who was still feeling a bit awkward.

"Hello, Big brother, Kenth…"

"What's the matter with you? Just call me Kenth, you're the same age as Yongsann anyway. Look at her, she's not showing any respect."

"You've got some nerve, who gets upset when treated like an older brother?" I replied, laughing.

"Let's go on a date later, Yongsann," he jokingly said but glanced at everyone in the room. Because he was famous, such jokes weren't taken lightly.

"What a great joke."

"Why not? Can't friends go on a date? Don't make assumptions." Our companions burst into laughter, except for Grantt, who remained serious.

"Let's rehearse, Wendy," Grantt declared and stood up. The girl followed suit, and they took their positions.

"Aren't you jealous of Wendy?" Kenth teased me. I took a seat next to him.

"Why would I be jealous? Who's prettier between us?"

"You, probably. You're my friend, after all." I playfully swatted him, and he burst into laughter.

"But you know, Yongsann, in a novel, the leads are often both actors. There aren't many stories about an actor and their manager ending up together. You can guess where they usually end up, right?"

"Can't you stop?" I warned him. As was our usual practice, we engaged in a staring contest. The first one to blink would leave the room.

Both Kenth and I were startled by the sound of a falling microphone. Our eyes quickly darted in its direction, revealing that it was Grantt's microphone that had clattered to the floor. I rose from my seat to check on them.

"Are you alright?" I inquired. He remained silent.

"I'll step out for a moment, Sann!" Kenth announced, excusing himself.

"Get lost!" I retorted, and he chuckled before making his exit. I redirected my attention to the two of them.

"What's going on?" I inquired again. Instead of addressing me, Grantt turned towards Wendy.

"Let's consider canceling this production. I'm just not in the mood to sing," he stated, leaving both of us taken aback.

"What? Are you serious, Grantt? There have been times when I wasn't in the mood to sing, but I didn't back out."

Ignoring Wendy's remarks, he abruptly left the restroom. Ate Pia, Wendy's manager, approached us.

"What's happened? Why did Grantt walk out?"

"I'll have a word with Grantt personally. Please wait here, Ate Pia. He's just being difficult. Don't leave yet, Wendy, alright?" I requested.

"Alright, sure."

I quickly left the rehearsal room. That rude guy had nowhere else to go but our office, so I went there directly.

I was right because he was still sitting on the couch as if no one had been left in the RR.

I locked the door to make sure no one would hear us arguing if he annoyed me again.

"What's wrong with you?" I angrily asked him. He didn't answer, so I moved closer. "Grantt."

"Leave me alone. I don't feel like talking to you."

"I don't either, but I'm trying to be professional, Grantt Gomez." I saw his jaw tense up.

"Fine, I'm not acting professionally. Don't interfere in my matters. Why don't you take a day off and go on a date with Kenth today? If you want to flirt, find a private place instead of doing it in front of everyone. And if you have nothing else to do, at least learn to adjust, okay? It's noisy in the rehearsal room because someone is practicing, and you're making it worse. Don't you have any consideration? Because we do. Your presence is disturbing our rehearsal. Your friend doesn't even belong here, so why is he here? If he wanted to invite you on a date, he should have brought a sign with him."

I just stared at him in surprise as I listened to his long speech. It might be the first time I heard him talk so much.

I tilted my head and looked at him while crossing my arms. I had more to say, but I couldn't put my thoughts together properly.

"Why are you so mad? And what date are you talking about? Kenth was just joking."

"Do you really think so? He knows you're married to me, so why did he have to say that?"

I chuckled, and he seemed to find my reaction amusing. I knew I might seem a bit presumptuous in his eyes if I asked him what he was thinking right now, but I wouldn't know the answer unless I asked him.

"Are you getting jealous of Kenth?" I asked straight up. No joking around this time. He shot me a pretty unfriendly look.

"And what if I am? Is that a big deal?"

"If? Like seriously? You're kinda overreacting," I said, rolling my eyes.

"Yeah, I do get jealous of you, especially when you're all flirty with him and the way you two eye each other," he admitted. I really wanted him to just own up to being jealous, but his answer left me stunned. "I'm your spouse, so I've got the right to be jealous."

"I get jealous of you and Wendy too, but I don't let it take over, Grantt. Whether you're jealous or just acting out, what you did wasn't cool," I gave him a little lecture.

"So you are jealous, but you never told me? I told you."

"Now it's my fault? Kenth's just a buddy, and he knows about us. What about Wendy? She doesn't know you're married to me; she still thinks you're her boyfriend. Between us, you're the one who's cheating, Grantt." I held back from yelling because, with the door closed, we'd definitely be heard outside.

"I'm cheating because you let me," he whispered softly. I heard it loud and clear.

"What did you just say?" I double-checked.

"Nothing. Go away now, or bring Wendy here. You're not making me feel any better. All you're doing is bringing negativity into my life."

I was seriously left dumbfounded. This guy had some nerve. But then again, he brought just as much negativity into my life.

"If you're not leaving, then I will," he declared, getting up. I quickly grabbed his arm to stop him. He was dead serious about backing out of their performance.

"If you walk out that door, I'll go on a date with Kenth. You know he's into me," I threatened. He didn't budge from his spot, but instead shot me a hostile look.

Do something, Yongsann, to change his mind. They can't cancel the performance.

"Look, I'm sorry for what happened. It won't happen again," I said calmly. He let out a sigh. "Grantt," I called his name again.

"What?" he replied, clearly irritated.

"Since you're dating Wendy, do you want me to date Ken..."

"No, and stop mentioning their names, will you?"

I smiled at him and nodded. His face brightened slightly. I leaned in and gave him a quick kiss on the lips.

"Do you want me to eat you later?" he whispered, squeezing my cheek. I hugged him quickly. I really loved the warmth of his body, as if he could dispel the cold I felt even though the air conditioning was on full blast in the room.

My goodness! Why do I have these thoughts? Why do I feel like I'm being swayed by this guy's flirting?!

"If you return to RR, why not?" I replied, teasing. I heard his deep, heavy breaths, as if he was restraining himself. "I am willing to be eaten by you."

"Damn you, Yong. You'll regret what you're saying now."

"Let's see," I challenged.

Tsk. Do you really want me to become addicted to you, Grantt? You might regret it when I no longer let you go.