"Oh well well well, would you look at that—right in front of us today is one of the most talked-about writers in the country. None other than Azaleiah, also known as cutiepie'sspy!"
I smiled warmly.
"It's my pleasure to finally have you here on my podcast!"
I nodded before straightening my posture a little."No, the pleasure's all mine. Thank you so much for having me."
This was an exclusive podcast. A simple voice-recorded conversation—no camera, no crew—just the two of us, face to face.
I, a mysterious author who owns one of the top five publishing companies in the Philippines and an app that exclusively features my novels, sat across from the country's most humble and well-loved broadcaster.
The questions soon began, and thankfully, I had enough time to prepare the answers beforehand. They had sent me the guide questions before the recording—which honestly helped a lot.
"So, I heard Until Our Paths Meet Again is getting an adaptation! Your fans are going wild online!"
I smiled again and turned to the mic, then back to the host."Yes... I still can't believe it myself."
"Us too! You really surprised us with that news." She laughed."It's heartwarming to know that you said yes to this project—with Director Cathy, no less." Her smile was warm."I heard you rejected this offer several times in the past. What changed your mind, Azaleiah?"
I let out a light laugh and shook my head gently."I just wanted to try something new," I said. "And I trust Director Cathy. I know she'll give justice to the characters I wrote."
"Ah, yes. She's one of the best directors we have, right?" she replied."And you—an author who owns one of the top five publishing companies in the country, plus your app Aza Read—almost a million downloads now, congratulations!"
I smiled, nodding with gratitude."Thank you. I also want to congratulate my supporters—none of this would be possible without them." I looked into the mic with sincerity.
Aza Read had become one of the most popular offline reading apps, especially among my readers. All the stories there were written by me.
"Also, a lot of people have been asking—what inspired cutiepie'sspy to write this particular novel?"
I found myself staring at the mic after hearing the question—it was the one I had been quietly preparing for.
"Well… it was inspired by the story of a close friend," I began softly. "It was a tragic story, really, and I honestly didn't expect the novel to do so well."
I paused, swallowing a lump in my throat.
"And... that brings me to something I've been dying to ask you," she added gently, prompting me to meet her gaze."How did you feel when you found out that Emillio Aceves would be joining the cast for this project?"
My heart skipped a beat the moment I heard his name. My breath caught—like the air around me thinned out.
That question wasn't part of the list they sent.
I forced a smile and tried to pull myself back to the present. I bit my lip slightly and bowed my head before looking at the mic again.
"Of course, I was shocked. I didn't expect him to be one of the people interested in portraying a character from my novel."
I composed myself and looked at the host again."But he's a veteran actor—he's made a name for himself worldwide. It's an honor, really."
And from that point on, the rest of the interview passed… but my mind couldn't leave his name behind.
Once filming ended, I finally let out a breath of relief.
"Hi! Thank you again for being our guest today!" she said, reaching out to shake my hand. "And I'm sorry for that surprise question..."
I nodded and gave her a soft smile."No worries. It's alright."
I really didn't expect that. I had no idea he was joining the casting. Director Cathy hadn't told me anything in advance.
If only I had known...
My phone rang. Seeing who it was, I answered immediately.
"Direk," I greeted.
"You're done filming? Can we meet?"
I tapped my foot lightly and smiled, even though she couldn't see it."Sure. I actually have something to tell you too."
I quickly changed into something more comfortable and drove to the address she sent. After an hour, I arrived.
Director Cathy was already there, sipping coffee. There was another cup waiting for me on the table. She looked troubled—her deep sighs gave her away.
"Catherine," I called.
She stood up quickly and gestured to the seat across from her.
I sat down, and so did she. But before I could speak, she took my hand and lowered her head.
"You can hit me, I won't stop you. Hate me, Leiah," she said, voice trembling.
I let out a long sigh and shook my head."Get a grip, Direk. People are watching." I glanced around.
She quickly straightened up, but the worry was still written all over her face.
"I'm really sorry, okay? I didn't know he was coming back. I didn't know he'd audition for this role," she said with a pout.
I groaned and rested my head on the table—it made a sound, but I didn't care who heard.
"I specifically agreed to this because I thought he wouldn't be around," I grumbled, lifting my head again."Why did he come back all of a sudden? Wasn't he still filming in the U.S.?"
She shrugged."I don't know either. It's like he made the Philippines and America next-door neighbors or something." She dropped her head onto the table."Talking to him is exhausting—"
"Wait, you're still in touch with him?" I asked, stunned.
She's still talking to him? Meanwhile, it's been nearly six years of radio silence for me.
"Yeah, he only cut you off," she muttered—loud enough for me to hear.
"I heard that, Direk." I dropped my head again."He's always been impossible. What is going through his head, joining the UOPMA adaptation?"
Until Our Paths Meet Again… It took three years to convince me to greenlight this adaptation. I kept refusing—for one reason only.
"The real question is—how did he even know? He doesn't even browse social media. I never mentioned it to him. I was worried you'd react like this."
I shut my eyes tightly."He definitely heard it from Luis. That guy's a walking disaster."
"Ahh, his manager? Right—I think I may have accidentally told him."
My eyes shot up."You what?!"
She looked at me with a sheepish smile and flashed a peace sign.
"Hehe, sorry. He asked what project I was working on... and I slipped. But I told him not to tell his boss!"
I slammed my head down again. I was starting to lose count—and feel a migraine coming on.
Luis Evangelical not telling his boss? Emillio Aceves? That guy's more loyal than Daniel Padilla's dog.
"Yeah, he's loyal alright..." she muttered, as the table thudded again from her forehead.
I shut my eyes tightly."Still... you have full control over the casting. It's your story, after all."
I lifted my head and smiled—her words were a small comfort.
"Oh right! We do get to choose the cast!" I grinned."Let's just hope he doesn't make it to the screening—or doesn't even show up." I exhaled deeply.
"Exactly. I heard a lot of people will show up—it'll be a long line. I don't think he'll handle it." Catherine added, fanning the flame.
Well, it worked. I felt more confident again.
Yeah. There's no way he'll even get to step on that stage.
"Whew… good thing that VVIP actor didn't get the role," I sighed, finally breathing easier.
(Meanwhile...)
"Alright. Tell us about yourself," I asked calmly, looking directly at him.
He looked at all of us in disbelief and grinned."Do I really have to?"
I almost rolled my eyes—his arrogance was practically leaking from every pore.
"If not, the door is open. You can leave." I smiled politely, though deep inside I wanted to strangle him.
He knew he was teasing—he flashed a wide grin before adjusting in his seat.
"Hi. I'm Emillio Aceves, a veteran actor... worldwide." His voice carried all the smugness in the world.
I narrowed my eyes and bowed my head just to stop myself from reacting."So, tell us—why are you applying to play... Emillio Acosta?" Catherine asked.
"Hmm. I just think I am the living version of Emillio."
I looked up at him. And for some reason, my heart skipped again when our eyes met.
I felt Direk's gaze on me, so I turned to her too.
(Flashback)
We were walking out of a café when he suddenly stopped, causing me to stop too.
"Uh… I know this sounds crazy, but… do you think he knows?" he asked."I mean… maybe that's why he's joining?"
I frowned, confused. Knows? Knows what?I was about to ask—then the realization hit.
I smiled bitterly."No... He doesn't and he never will."