The Dae I Fell In Love

"I'm going to get straight to the point. You're not going to get this role without a loveteam." The rejection came as a complete surprise. I stared at the director who stared back at me with a bored expression. My manager did say that the audition was only for supporting roles, as the leading character parts are reserved for emerging loveteams. But I've seen and met some of the loveteams nowadays and they suck. They only look good together, but they can't really act. So, I thought I'd come here and show them what talent looks like and make them reconsider their position on casting amateurs. I cleared my throat. "But the leading man you cast can be my loveteam, can't he?" I beamed at the director and the panel of casting crew. "Look, you're good. And there's also probably a good actor out there for the leading man part, but no matter how good you guys are, you can't act chemistry. Even pairing 2 good looking actors is not enough anymore for the audience. And this project is too big for us to risk a hit and miss on the chemistry of the leading characters. I'm sorry but we have to say n-." "Wait! Please give me a chance, I can have chemistry with anyone. I'm that good!" The director just laughed. "Miss Sterling, you're not getting it. The only way to fake chemistry is if people believe you're in love off-screen first." He rolled his eyes for effect. "I can do that! I'm serious! Don't you know who I am? I'm Ai Sterling, genius child star who can cry in 5 seconds! If you tell me to act in love, I can be in love in 5 seconds. I can even make anyone fall in love with me in 5 seconds!" I surprised even myself on how I can make pleading sound so arrogant. There must be something in the way I looked and the way I said what I said though because the director stopped laughing and the woman seated at the far right whispered something to him that made him tap his pen on the clipboard he's holding. They each took turns to look at me before continuing with their hushed discussion. I gulped once, nervous about what their decision would be. I really want to get this audition. This is supposed to be my big comeback after my unintended 10-year hiatus. The director finally sighed as the woman smiled. They both looked back at me. "Okay, we'll give you a chance to prove it." The director said with a curt smile. The woman who whispered to the director continued for him. "We're doing a reality dating show and we're still a contestant short. It's called 'Dating Week', the participants will have to live together in a private beach house for 3 weeks and are only allowed to go out of the house if they get chosen to have a date. You think you can make them take you out on a date?" "Just tell me who." I answered confidently. "Any one of the WeekDae will do." she smirked at me. "The WeekDae?!" My eyes widen. "Did I hear you correctly? You mean the members of the WeekDae? The internationally acclaimed idol group??" The woman's evil smile got bigger. "Yes, the exact one. Will that be a problem?" She raised her brow as if to challenge me. Yes! That's a big problem! I mentally screamed. Though I don't know the members personally nor am I a fan, I know that the boy band, or any idol group for that matter, do not and cannot simply "date". Idol group dating culture is problematic with the importance they give to fan service. As an actress, I know from experience that being a public figure meant there'd be little to no privacy. But idol groups take invasion of privacy to another level. At least actors can hide under the persona of the characters they're playing. Most of their fans sometimes really just like the characters and not the actors themselves. In idol groups, however, they don't have the same luxury, as what they sell to their audience through their music is themselves. This makes their fans wholly invested in their personal lives. Idols are expected to maintain their reputation as "approachable" by staying single for their fans. If actors get annoying paparazzi, idols get obsessive fans. These obsessive fans think they own their idols and act as their guardians, having a say in who they can and cannot date. Most fans though don't want their idols to date to the point of harassing anyone getting linked with their idol or canceling their idol altogether, just so they can continue to imagine themselves to be the one in a relationship with their idols. And WeekDae as the biggest idol group of this generation has a lot of obsessive fans. I coughed. "N-no, I was just making sure." "Good. If you can make any one of them choose you in the end, and their fans agree, we'd cast the two of you as the leading characters of this series." She smiled as she flipped her hair like what she said was as simple as ABC. In all fairness, I did make it sound like it's an easy task. And I get the comparison of loveteam fans to idol fans. They're both obsessive. Fans of loveteams contrary to that of an idol, are guardians of the relationship in such a way that they cannot date anyone else in real life apart from each other. The loveteam must be a couple on and off cam because no one else is good enough for them other than each other. Basically, what she's really trying to ask me is if I'm so good in acting that I can act in love on and off screen that the hard-to-please fans of an idol would root for me as the only one good enough for their idol. It would be troublesome to find a loveteam from an idol group. I can just find a B-list actor to date and come back to audition again with him but there's no guarantee we'll be casted to the leading roles. On the other hand, joining the dating show gives me that guarantee and extra exposure even if I fail. But failure should not be an option. I have to be the star of this series. Besides, it's not impossible to find a loveteam from an idol group, it's just difficult. I decided to accept the challenge. "When does it start?" I said with a big smile.