Y/N POV – Backstage
She stood near the monitor , pretending to check the needs. But her eyes kept trailing to the set. To him.
"You said you didn't like her… but you let her touch you,off camera"
she whispered under her breath, lips tight.
"You could've said it sooner."
The wind brushed past, but it wasn't as cold as the confusion in her chest.
Director:
"Camera rolling! Scene 12! Beach walk confrontation. Take one… and—Action!"
The sun had just started dipping behind the clouds, casting golden hues on the set. The crew buzzed around, wrapping up cables and lights, their voices blending into background noise.
Y/N walked briskly, head down, clutching the strap of her bag. Her steps were quick—but not angry. Not loud. Just final. She reached the artist van, her eyes fixed forward.
Rabin wasn't far behind.
"Y/N—"
His voice came low, desperate, trailing behind her like a shadow that couldn't catch up.
He finally reached her, wrapping his hand around her wrist gently but firmly.
"People are watching,"
she said quietly, almost like a reminder.
And with a light tug, she slipped out of his grip and stepped into the van—
The soft hum of the van's engine faded into the distance as it disappeared down the road. The air was unusually still. No teasing, no chasing this time. Just quiet steps and silence hanging between them.
Y/N walked ahead, her strides fast, almost anxious. Her hand fumbled briefly with the keys before she unlocked the door to their apartment. She stepped in without looking back.
Rabin followed a few paces behind. He didn't rush. He didn't call her name.
He just entered—like a shadow that had lost its light.
Inside the Apartment – Dim Warm Light
She dropped her bag gently on the couch, slipped off her shoes, and made her way straight to the kitchen—opening the fridge without saying a word.
Rabin stood by the door, quietly closing it. He kicked his shoes off lazily and leaned against the wall, watching her.
She poured herself a glass of water. Took a sip. Still not looking at him.
The silence wasn't loud—it was worse. It was thick.
Finally, Rabin spoke, his voice quiet but firm.
"Y/N… look at me."
She didn't turn.
"I didn't let her touch me. I stopped her. You saw that."
Still silent.
"Say something… even if it's just to yell at me."
She turned around, glass still in her hand. Her voice came out soft, but laced with hurt.
"You did nothing wrong, Rabin… I saw that," she continued, voice steady now. "You even pushed her away. You said no. You looked for me."
She finally turned to face him, arms crossed—not in anger, but in trying to hold herself together.
"But it still stung, okay? I know you love me, but that doesn't stop my heart from hurting when I see someone else wanting you like I do." She said
"Can't I get jealous of my boyfriend?"
Rabin blinked.
For someone who always had the right thing to say, for once, he didn't. His lips parted slightly, but no sound followed.
Rabin stepped forward, slowly—one step at a time, like approaching a frightened deer. His hand reached for hers and wrapped it gently in his warmth.
"Then don't pretend like you didn't care next time," he whispered. "Yell at me. Hit me. Pull me by the ear. Just don't walk away like you did earlier. That scared the hell out of me."
"You're stupid." She said
"I'm your stupid," he said, pulling her into his arms, resting his chin atop her head. "And I think I like it when you're jealous. You look… extra mine."
Message Dings
She open the message
It's from the manager .. she open the link and shocked!!
RAYA AND NATIONAL BOYFRIEND RABIN ANGELES SPOTTED IN OFF-CAM INTIMATE MOMENT?
A photo leaks from inside the makeup room — fans shocked by behind-the-scenes closeness!
The internet exploded this morning after a grainy photo surfaced showing Rabin Angeles and actress Raya inside a makeup room during rehearsals. In the frame, Raya appears to be leaning close to Rabin, hand gently on his shoulder—while Rabin stands frozen, seemingly caught off-guard.
Fans are waiting for their agency that has yet to release an official statement .
The silence in the room was heavier than thunder.
Rabin—barefoot and breathless—stared at Y/N, who stood frozen ,phone clenched in her hand. She didn't say a word. Didn't need to.
He marched forward and snatched the phone from her grasp. His eyes scanned the headline. The photo. The misleading angle. The nonsense.
Rabin: "What the f— is this?"
His voice was sharp, cracking with disbelief.
At that exact moment, both of their phones rang.
Agency.
He looked at her. She looked at him.
Agency Conference Room
The atmosphere was as stiff as corporate marble. The PR head, their manager, and a couple of internal staff were already seated.
Manager: "Rabin. Y/N. Sit."
Manager - i already told you y/n to be careful of that Raya .. i know this would happen tch..!!
Y/n- Sorry po ..
Rabin- its not her fault..
PR Head: "We're dealing with a mess. That photo leaked. The tabloids twisted it. Now, the press is spinning rumors of a romantic revival between you and Raya."
Rabin (cold): "I didn't even touch her."
Manager: "We know. But the image says otherwise. And the problem is, Raya isn't denying it."
Y/N looked down, fists clenched under the table.
PR Head: "We need to fix this. Either by clearing the air or leaning into the narrative, depending on how we want the public to react."
Rabin: "I don't want any of it. I want the truth. If Raya doesn't deny it—then I will."
The mood was razor sharp. A long table separated the agency execs from Rabin, who sat at one end, back straight, eyes stormy. Y/N sat silently beside him, her heart pounding in her chest, hidden beneath a composed face.
PR HEAD (smoothing out her folder, voice tight):
"As you know, we have to ride the wave of publicity. The drama is premiering next month. Half the fanbase already ships you two—Raya and Rabin. Rabya is trending."
RABIN (flatly, jaw tight):
"I don't want it."
PR HEAD (leaning forward):
"Rabin, the agency owns your image. You signed the contract. Until we give the green light, you can't date anyone publicly."
RABIN (meeting her gaze, voice low and rebellious):
"What if I already have a girlfriend?"
The room fell into stunned silence.
One of the execs looked up from his tablet. The PR Head blinked, visibly thrown off.
Tension hung in the air thicker than the silence. Rabin's knuckles were pale from clenching the table's edge. Y/N kept her eyes down, trying not to show emotion. The PR Head flipped through pages nervously when—
SLAM.
The conference room door bursts open.
AGENCY BOSS (commanding tone):
"Who has a girlfriend?"
All heads turned. Silence.
PR HEAD (quickly standing):
"N-No, sir. We were just discussing the leaked photo from this evening—nothing confirmed, sir. Just addressing the media narrative."
The room feels colder now, as if the walls themselves were listening.
The Agency Boss circles slowly, fingers locked behind his back, commanding authority with every step.
BOSS (measured, firm):
"So I want to conclude this meeting with a clear direction.
We are confirming the fake relationship between Rabin and Raya."
Y/N's heart sinks. Rabin clenches his jaw.
BOSS (CONT'D):
"The social engagement is the highest we've seen all year.
It's trending across all platforms. This—" (gestures to the tablet screen showing '#Rabya')
"—is an opportunity we cannot afford to waste."
RABIN (angrily standing):
"Sir! I hate fake relationships. I won't fake something I don't feel!"
BOSS (coldly, not breaking stride):
"It's not about what you feel, Rabin.
It's about what the public wants to believe. You're an actor—act.
Learn to perform off-screen just as convincingly as you do on-screen."
A beat of heavy silence.
PR HEAD (quietly):
"It's temporary, Rabin… just until the drama wraps."
RABIN (voice low, controlled):
"And what about the people we hurt by doing this?"
The boss stops walking.
BOSS (without looking back):
"That's the price of being in this industry.
If you're not willing to pay it, someone else will."
Rabin's phone buzzed.
He glanced at the screen, brows furrowing as he read the message.
From: Raya
"Rabinie~ if you don't want your little assistant girlfriend exposed… then confirm our relationship. ;)"
(Picture of him holding her wrist in the parking lot)
His jaw clenched. Fingers tightening around the phone.
"Meeting adjourned!" The boss walks out. The door slams shut behind him.
Rabin stares down at the table, fists tight, breathing heavy.
Across from him, Y/N stays still—eyes glossy, trying not to let it show.
And for the first time, neither of them says a word.
The door slams shut behind them.
Apartment late night
RABIN
"Shit!! It's a damn shit!!"
He throws his jacket onto the floor. It lands with a heavy thud—like the weight he's been carrying all day.
His chest rises and falls in uneven breaths.
Y/N walks in behind him… silently. No words. Just her presence.
She steps closer.
Closer.
Then slowly—gently—she wraps her arms around his back.
Her forehead presses lightly between his shoulder blades.
Y/N (softly)
"I'm here."
Rabin stiffens for a moment. Silent. Still.
Then… his arms slowly lift and hold her hands over his chest.
RABIN (quietly, almost a whisper)
"I didn't want them to decide what we are."
Y/N (pressing her cheek against him)
"I know."
He turns around, facing her now. His expression is clouded with frustration, pain, and… helplessness.
RABIN
"They're putting me on a leash. With a person I don't even care about. While the one I do care about… can't even be seen beside me."
Y/N
"I don't need the world to see us. I just need you to see me."
That breaks him.
He lowers his head, touching his forehead to hers.
RABIN (softly)
"I see you… always. Even when I have to pretend I don't."
They hold each other in silence.
HEADLINE:
"Nation's Boyfriend Already Taken—Raya and Rabin Officially a Couple!"
Confirmed by Rabin Angeles' agency, the long-rumored on-screen chemistry between Raya and Rabin has now "turned real off-cam," fueling the fan-favorite #Rabya ship across social media.
Next day
The studio lights outside flicker as crews prepare for the next shoot. Inside, it's quieter.
RABIN sits on the couch, head bent over a script. His brows are furrowed, lips slightly parted as he mouths a line. The tension in his shoulders tells the whole story.
Then—
click, click—heels echo across the lounge.
RAYA walks in, confidence practically dripping off her smirk.
RAYA
"Hello, my boyfriend~"
She sings the words like a taunt.
Rabin doesn't look up. His jaw tightens.
RABIN
"Get out."
She pauses, still smiling as if it's all part of a joke.
RAYA
"Aww, my boyfriend is so scary today."
He finally looks up. Cold. Sharp.
RABIN
"Don't call me that. We both know it's fake."
Raya's smile flickers, for just a moment. Then she tosses her hair.
RAYA
"Fake or not, the headlines are real. The world believes it. And that's what matters, right?"
RABIN (dry)
"To you, maybe."
He tosses the script on the table and stands.
RABIN
"But I don't need the world to believe in something that's built on lies."
He walks past her, brushing her shoulder—not with affection, but indifference.
RAYA (calling out)
"Still acting, huh Rabin? Even off-camera?"
RABIN (without turning back)
"Then you should know—I never improvise lies. Not for anyone."
He leaves the lounge, the door swinging behind him.
And Raya? Her smirk fades, just for a second.
Rabin's phone buzzed again.
Another message from Raya.
"Remember what I told you yesterday…?"
His thumb hovered over the screen for a second—jaw tightening, eyes darkening—before he locked it and slid the phone into his back pocket.
Without a word, he turned.
Each step echoed with restrained fury as he made his way toward the set.
His stylist called out, "Rabin, are you ready?" He didn't answer. Just walked straight past, focused and storm-still.
The crew could feel it—the quiet tension.
Something was brewing behind that calm face.
Y/N POV
I just arrived at the location.
Didn't come here with him today…
The manager had some last-minute words before I left.
I stepped onto the set—
The sun already high, the lights set,
cameras rolling quietly like they were eavesdropping on emotions.
Then I saw him.
Rabin.
Standing in the middle of it all,
surrounded by people, light, and noise—
But his eyes… his face…
It changed.
That usual spark he carries like a second skin?
Gone.
His smile?
The one that made half the world fall in love?
Now just…
a practiced curve. Empty. Mechanical.
And he didn't even see me yet.