Damian
Yeah, I will.
Mr. Mah
And... how's the pain in your neck?
Damian
(his smile softening)
Honestly, I haven't felt it for the past two days.
(Mr. Mah smiles knowingly. Damian sets the photo of Ella as her contact picture and locks his phone.)
[INT. ELLA'S HOUSE – MORNING]
(Ella is getting ready for the day. She grabs her bag and heads to Rey's room.)
Ella
(knocking lightly, then peeking in)
Rey, I'm leaving now, okay?
(Rey is fast asleep on her bed, clearly in deep sleep.)
Ella
(sighs softly)
Yeah... maybe get some rest. You really should've checked if the bus was AM or PM.
(she smiles faintly)
Arriving at 3 in the morning… sucks that you missed his birthday party.
[FLASHBACK – EARLY MORNING]
(Rey had arrived crying, upset that she missed Damian's party. She ranted for nearly an hour, blaming herself and even scolded Ella for attending. Eventually, she apologized before falling asleep mid-tears.)
[BACK TO PRESENT]
Ella
(quietly)
Okay... bye.
(She steps out of the room, leaves the house, and stands downstairs, waiting for the car.)
(Ella is standing outside, waiting for the car. Suddenly, she notices a couple across the street. They hug each other goodbye and walk off.)
(She stares at them for a second… and her cheeks turn pink as she recalls the moment Damian hugged her last night.)
Ella
(blinking, softly slaps her own cheek)
Hey! Come to your senses. That was just for the party. Just a friendly hug!
(pause, then her nose twitches as if remembering something)
Ella
(blinking, softly slaps her own cheek)
Hey! Come to your senses. That was just for the party. Just a friendly hug!
(pause, then her nose twitches as if remembering something)
Ella
…But his perfume smelled so good—
(shakes her head)
No, no, no!! Ella, get it together!
(she tries to distract herself)
Ella
Okay, focus. Today's your big day. Your shoot is starting.
(deep breath)
Your dream is coming true...
(then suddenly realization hits her)
Ella
(with wide eyes)
WITH HIM!?
(she groans in disbelief)
Ella
Why am I thinking about that guy again and again?
(she dramatically covers her face with her hands)
(A car pulls up in front of her. The window rolls down, and to her surprise, it's Damian.)
Damian
(confused)
What happened? Are you coming or not?
(Ella, still flustered, quickly lowers her hands from her face.)
Ella
Ah—yeah! I'm coming!
(She opens the car door and gets inside, only to find a neatly wrapped box placed on the seat.)
Ella
(confused)
Is this... yours?
Damian
It's for you.
Ella
Me?!
Damian
A thank-you gift. Now sit properly.
(Ella sits down, still staring at the box, hesitant to touch it.)
Damian
I didn't know what you liked, so I picked it randomly.