The night air outside the event hall felt cool and quiet compared to the chaos inside.
Fans were still gathered near the main entrance, hoping to catch one last glimpse of the actors.
But William and Est had already slipped out through a side exit.
Est pulled the hood of his jacket up slightly.
"I feel like we're criminals," he muttered.
William laughed.
"We're just avoiding fans."
"That's exactly what a criminal would say."
They walked down the dim street together, the city lights reflecting on the wet pavement from earlier rain.
For a few minutes, neither of them spoke.
Then William broke the silence.
"So."
Est glanced at him.
"So?"
"This is our first official date."
Est rolled his eyes again.
"You're really committed to calling it that."
William grinned.
"You agreed."
"I said fine. That's not the same thing."
William suddenly stopped walking.
Est took two more steps before realizing and turning back.
"What?"
William tilted his head.
"You're nervous."
"I am not."
"You've rolled your eyes at me five times in the last ten minutes."
"That's my normal personality."
William stepped closer.
The street was quiet. No cameras. No fans.
Just the soft glow of streetlights above them.
"You're cute when you're nervous," William said softly.
Est stared at him.
"You're unbelievable."
William laughed again and started walking.
"Come on."
"Where are we going?" Est asked.
"Food."
"Ah," Est nodded. "Now I trust you."
They ended up at a small late-night café a few blocks away.
It was nearly empty.
Perfect.
They chose a table near the window.
The waiter didn't seem to recognize them, which felt like a small miracle.
Est leaned back in his chair.
"You know what's weird?"
"What?" William asked.
"This feels… normal."
William smiled.
"That's good, right?"
"Yeah."
Est looked around the quiet café.
"No cameras. No scripts. No fans screaming."
William nodded.
"Just us."
The words hung gently in the air.
Est looked at him carefully.
"You're really okay with this?"
"With what?"
"Dating someone from the same show."
William didn't hesitate.
"Yeah."
Est looked surprised.
"You didn't even think about it."
"I did think about it," William said. "For months."
Est blinked.
"Months?"
William nodded.
"I just didn't say anything."
"Why?"
William leaned forward slightly.
"Because I didn't know if you felt the same way."
Est smiled faintly.
"Turns out you were right."
William raised an eyebrow.
"Oh?"
Est looked out the window for a second before answering.
"I liked you first."
William nearly dropped his cup.
"Wait—what?"
Est laughed at his shocked expression.
"Your face is amazing right now."
"You liked me first??"
Est shrugged.
"Probably."
"When?"
Est thought for a moment.
"Maybe during the second month of filming."
William leaned back dramatically.
"That's unfair."
"How?"
"You kept acting normal."
"That's because I thought you didn't like me."
William groaned.
"We're terrible at communication."
Est nodded.
"Actors."
They both laughed.
The moment felt warm and easy.
But just as they relaxed—
Est's phone buzzed.
He checked the screen.
Then his expression changed slightly.
William noticed immediately.
"What is it?"
Est hesitated.
"Nothing."
William leaned across the table.
"Est."
Est sighed and turned the phone toward him.
A post was trending online.
A rumor.
Someone had posted a story claiming Est was secretly dating another celebrity.
The comments were already spreading fast.
William's expression darkened.
"That's not true," he said immediately.
"I know."
"But people are believing it."
Est shrugged lightly.
"Rumors happen all the time."
But William didn't look convinced.
He leaned forward slightly, his voice quieter.
"I don't like it."
Est studied him.
"Why?"
William looked directly at him.
"Because you're with me."
For a moment Est didn't respond.
Then he smiled softly.
"Well…"
He reached across the table.
And gently took William's hand again.
"Maybe that's the only part that actually matters."
William's expression softened immediately.
Outside the café, the city lights flickered softly in the distance.
And for the first time since everything started—
Their relationship felt real.
Not like a rumor.
Not like fan speculation.
Just two people who had finally stopped pretending.
.....
The next morning, the studio was buzzing again.
Filming days were always hectic, but today felt even louder than usual.
Staff members were whispering in corners.
Makeup artists kept glancing at their phones.
Even the assistant director looked amused about something.
Est noticed it first.
He sat in the makeup chair while a stylist fixed his hair, watching the room carefully through the mirror.
"Something's going on," he muttered.
Across the room, William was talking with the director.
A few seconds later, his phone buzzed.
He checked it.
Then immediately looked toward Est.
Est narrowed his eyes.
"What?" he mouthed.
William slowly walked over.
"You might want to see this," he said quietly.
Est sighed dramatically.
"If it's another hand-holding edit, I swear—"
William turned the phone around.
It wasn't a fan edit.
It was a behind-the-scenes video from yesterday's filming.
Someone from the production team had uploaded it to the show's official social media page.
The clip started normally.
Actors rehearsing.
Staff adjusting lights.
Then the camera panned slightly to the side—
Right to William and Est.
Standing very close.
Talking quietly.
And at one point…
William reached over and brushed something out of Est's hair.
The moment looked incredibly soft.
Too soft.
Est groaned and covered his face.
"No."
William scrolled through the comments.
"They noticed."
The top comment read:
"WHY DO THEY LOOK LIKE AN ACTUAL COUPLE."
Another one:
"This is NOT acting anymore."
And another:
"William looks at Est like he's in love."
Est slid down in his chair.
"This is getting out of control."
William leaned against the counter beside him.
"Fans are just excited."
"That's not the problem."
Est pointed at the screen.
"That video has three million views."
William whistled quietly.
"That's impressive."
Est glared at him.
"You're enjoying this way too much."
William shrugged with a small smile.
"Maybe a little."
Before Est could reply—
The assistant director clapped loudly.
"Everyone to set! We're filming the next scene!"
Today's scene required William and Est to sit close together on a bench while having a serious conversation.
Ironically…
It was one of the more emotional scenes in the script.
The director looked at them carefully.
"Ready?"
Both of them nodded.
"Action!"
William turned toward Est, following the script.
"You can't keep hiding things from me," he said, his voice serious.
Est responded perfectly.
"I'm not hiding anything."
But something felt different.
Because the tension between them wasn't just acting anymore.
William leaned closer.
"You're lying."
Est met his gaze.
"I'm protecting you."
The scene required them to hold eye contact for several seconds.
Normally, acting like this was easy.
But now—
It felt almost too real.
Neither of them broke character.
The director watched the monitor closely.
"This is good," he whispered to the crew.
"Really good."
On the bench, William reached out and grabbed Est's wrist.
It was written in the script.
But his grip lingered slightly longer than usual.
Est noticed.
Their eyes met again.
Something unspoken passed between them.
Finally—
"Cut!"
The director clapped excitedly.
"That was perfect!"
The crew applauded lightly.
William released Est's wrist.
Est leaned closer and whispered under his breath—
"You're doing that on purpose."
William whispered back—
"Doing what?"
"Making the scene feel real."
William smiled slightly.
"It already is."
Est rolled his eyes.
But his ears turned red again.
Later That Afternoon, Filming wrapped early.
As the actors began leaving the set, a junior staff member ran up to them nervously.
"Um… William? Est?"
They turned.
"What's up?" William asked.
The staff member hesitated.
"Your behind-the-scenes video… it's trending worldwide now."
Est groaned.
"How bad?"
The staff member held up the phone.
The top trending tag read:
#WilliamEstReal
Over 10 million posts.
William looked impressed.
Est looked like he might faint.
"This is definitely getting out of hand," Est said.
William glanced at him.
Then leaned closer.
"Maybe."
Est raised an eyebrow.
"But?"
William smiled softly.
"I'm not exactly unhappy about it."
Est stared at him.
"You're impossible."
But the small smile returning to his face said otherwise.
Because deep down—
Part of him didn't hate the idea that the whole world might eventually find out.