Chapter 13
Celine stood in front of the mirror, adjusting the collar of her jacket before running a hand through her hair. Her phone buzzed on the nightstand. It was already a habit—texting Arianne before leaving.
Celine:Heading to the set na. I'll text you when I'm done.
Arianne:Drive safe, mahal.
A small smile played on Celine’s lips before she pocketed her phone and grabbed her bag. She let out a deep breath. Another day, another scene.
As soon as Celine stepped onto the set, she was greeted with a familiar burst of energy.
"Good morning, Celine!" Mavis beamed, her usual enthusiasm evident.
Celine glanced at her with a tired but amused expression. "Morning," she greeted back, her voice softer, more relaxed.
Mavis tilted her head, observing her closely. "Alam mo, napansin ko lang, you've been smiling a lot these past few weeks."
Celine raised a brow as she set her things down. "Really? Baka kasi… happy lang ako."
Mavis smirked. "Where? Sakin?" she teased, flashing a playful grin.
Celine let out a small chuckle, shaking her head. "Hay nako, Mavis." She grabbed a bottle of water and took a sip, ignoring the way Mavis watched her with amusement.
Mavis then handed her a scene paper. "Here. Basahin mo na."
Celine took it and skimmed through the lines, her brows slightly raising at one particular part. "Hmm. Kissing scene pala ulit," she muttered.
Mavis nodded, leaning against the table beside her. "Yeah, pero sabi ng script, may adlib tayo dito."
Celine looked up. "Adlib?"
"Mm-hmm." Mavis crossed her arms. "Basically, we have to make it feel natural. Hindi rigid sa script. Parang… bahala tayo kung paano natin gagawin."
Celine hummed, flipping the page absentmindedly. "I see. Well, just do what feels natural for you."
Mavis let out a dramatic sigh. "Medyo nakakakaba parin pala para lang maging convincing ‘to."
Celine smirked, amused.
Celine tilted her head thoughtfully. "Then you just go with the flow. Kung anong natural, ‘yun gawin mo."
Mavis pursed her lips. "Ganon lang?"
Celine nodded. "Ganon lang. Trust yourself, Mavis. You’ve done this before. The audience will believe it if you do."
Mavis exhaled, nodding slowly. "Alright. Fine. But wait—ilang kissing scenes pa ba meron?"
Celine glanced at her, half-expecting an answer she wouldn’t like.
"Two more," Mavis confirmed. "Then tapos na."
Celine simply nodded, her expression unreadable. "Okay."
Mavis watched her for a moment before breaking into a grin. "Oh? Wala nang reklamo? Wow ha, sanay ka na talaga."
Celine gave her a side glance. "Shut up, Mavis."
Mavis only laughed. "Kaya crush kita eh"
Celine rolled her eyes, but a small, knowing smile remained on her lips.
As they were called for preparations, she let out a slow breath. It was just a scene—just another part of the job.
The set was buzzing with quiet murmurs as the crew adjusted the cameras and lights for the upcoming take. Celine sat on the edge of the couch, stretching her neck slightly while holding the script. She didn’t really need to read it at this point—she already knew the lines.
Beside her, Mavis was bouncing her leg.
"Ninenerbyos ka ba?" Celine teased, watching her out of the corner of her eye.
Mavis scoffed. "Sino? Ako? Hindi ah."
Celine smirked.
Mavis groaned, rubbing her temples. "Kasi naman, Direk said to make the kiss more romantic this time. Mas intense. Ano ‘to, biglaang upgrade?"
Before Celine could respond, the director approached them, clapping his hands once to get their attention.
"Alright, girls," Direk started, glancing between them. "You’ve done a kissing scene before, but this one’s different. Mas in love na ‘yung characters niyo. They’re not just testing the waters anymore—they know they love each other. They want this moment."
Mavis let out a small nervous laugh. "Direk, parang naging big deal ‘yung kiss na ‘to bigla, ah."
Direk chuckled but remained firm. "Because it is a big deal for their relationship. Walang hesitation, walang awkwardness. Just… love. You got this?"
Celine nodded confidently, while Mavis exhaled, trying to shake off her nerves.
"Alright, let’s get into position," the assistant director called out.
Celine and Mavis moved to their spots on the couch, facing each other. The lights dimmed slightly, setting the mood. A hush fell over the set.
"Scene 32, Take 1!" The clapboard snapped shut.
Celine focused, slipping into her character with ease. She gazed at Mavis—her character’s supposed love interest—with warmth in her eyes. The moment was soft, intimate. They were close, their faces just inches apart.
Celine focused, slipping into her character with ease. She gazed at Mavis—her character’s supposed love interest—with warmth in her eyes. The moment was soft, intimate. They were close, their faces just inches apart.
Mavis hesitated.
Celine could feel it. The slight stiffness in Mavis’ posture, the way her breathing hitched. Mavis was about to move forward—Celine could sense it—but she didn’t.
Celine waited, giving Mavis a chance to take the lead.
Still, nothing.
So instead, Celine moved.
She leaned in, tilting her head slightly. It was natural, unforced—she wasn’t thinking about the cameras, just the moment.
But before their lips could meet, Mavis flinched back at the last second.
"Cut!"
The director sighed, rubbing his temples. "Mavis, anong nangyari?"
Mavis covered her face with her hands. "Agh, sorry! I don’t know—I just—" she peeked at Celine, looking sheepish. "Na-conscious ako bigla."
Celine exhaled through her nose, trying not to laugh. "Mavis, you’re making this harder for yourself."
Mavis groaned, leaning back on the couch dramatically. "Direk, one more take please! Promise, hindi na ako magiging weird."
The crew chuckled at her antics. The director shook his head, amused. "Alright, reset. Let’s go again."
"Scene 32, Take 2!"
This time, they both moved in at the same time.
Celine could see the determination in Mavis’ eyes. There was no hesitation now. She closed her eyes, preparing for the kiss—
But right before their lips touched, Mavis burst into giggles.
"Cut!"
Celine groaned, dropping her head onto Mavis’ shoulder. "Mavis, ano na!"
Mavis was laughing so hard she could barely talk. "Hindi ko kaya! Direk, wait lang!"
The director sighed dramatically, but his amused smile betrayed him. "Mavis, kung gusto mong matapos ‘to bago maghatinggabi, please, compose yourself."
Celine, meanwhile, was staring at Mavis with mock betrayal. "I trusted you."
Mavis wiped away a tear from laughing too much. "I’m sorry! Hindi ko talaga alam kung anong nangyayari sa’kin ngayon!"
The crew laughed along, but they all knew they had to get serious soon.
"Alright, one last time. And this time, no giggles, no flinching. Just do the scene," the director reminded them.
Mavis nodded, taking a deep breath. "Okay. Promise, last na ‘to."
"Scene 32, Take 3!"
This time, everything felt natural.
Mavis didn’t hesitate. Celine didn’t hold back. Their characters were deeply in love, and this kiss needed to reflect that. Slowly, they leaned in—soft at first, a gentle brush of lips, then deeper, filled with emotion. The warmth, the way their breaths mixed, the way their movements synced effortlessly—it was perfect.
Celine was so into the moment that she almost forgot they were filming.
And then—
No clap sign.
The director hadn’t called cut yet.
Celine’s mind raced. Direk? Any moment now?
Still, nothing.
The kiss was lingering. The scene should be over. Why wasn’t the cut signal happening?
Finally— clap!
Celine pulled away immediately, blinking rapidly as she internally screamed, God, Direk! Ang tagal ng clap sign mo!
The second the take ended, Mavis exhaled deeply and let out a small, nervous chuckle.
The director clapped his hands once, looking proud. "Now that is what I wanted. The emotions, the connection—perfect!"
Celine forced a smile, still recovering from how long that scene stretched. "Glad we got it right, Direk."
Mavis leaned in closer, whispering, "Akala ko hindi na matatapos ‘yun."
Celine deadpanned, "Baliw."
Unknown to Celine, a few meters away, Lumina’s members were huddled together, watching the scene unfold on a monitor. They had arrived earlier than expected, waiting for their turn to head to their next schedule—a live show performance. But instead of resting, their attention was glued to the screen, watching Celine and Mavis's very convincing kissing scene.
“Damn,” Maeve muttered, arms crossed.
Sasha whistled lowly. “No wonder people are shipping them.”
Maeve chuckled, nudging Arianne. “Arianne, girl… are you okay?”
Arianne wasn’t okay. She masked it well, though—arms crossed, lips pursed, eyes fixed on the screen. The moment the director clapped and ended the scene, she exhaled slowly, pretending she wasn’t affected.
“I'm fine,” she said flatly.
But Maeve, who had been observing her closely, smirked. “Really? Then why are you gripping your phone like it owes you money?”
Arianne rolled her eyes but, in the end, she did pull out her phone. Without thinking too much, she typed:
Arianne:Masarap ba kiss niya?
A few seconds later, Celine, who was drinking water after the exhausting scene, felt her phone vibrate. She wiped her lips, grabbed her phone, and read the message. Her brows lifted in surprise before her eyes instinctively scanned the area.
That’s when she saw them.
Arianne, standing with arms crossed, looking too composed for someone who just texted something so direct. Behind her, the rest of Lumina was grinning, obviously in on whatever this was.
Celine smirked, shaking her head in amusement before replying.
Celine:That was part of the script, mahal.
Arianne felt her phone vibrate, and when she saw the word mahal, her lips twitched, trying to suppress a smile.
Maeve let out a low whistle. “Damn. That looked real.”
Sasha smirked. “Celine and Mavis are really selling this pairing, huh?”
Maeve crossed her arms. “Tsk, tsk. Celine’s acting skills just keep getting better. Or…” She grinned. “Baka naman may inspiration?”
Arianne ignored them, keeping her gaze on her phone, scrolling through old messages from Celine—messages that reminded her she had nothing to worry about.
Celine:Wag ka nang mag-isip. Ikaw lang naman gusto kong halikan.
Arianne inhaled deeply, locking her phone before anyone could see the message.
Lumina’s teasing continued, Mavis kept getting flustered, and Celine? She just sat there—calm, unbothered, and completely secure in the fact that no matter how many scenes she had to act out, at the end of the day, there was only one person she’d be coming home to.
As Lumina was getting ready to leave, Arianne stayed quiet, scrolling through her phone, but her mind was elsewhere. She still felt the sting of seeing Celine and Mavis together in that scene. She knew it was just acting, but the way everyone kept teasing them made her feel uneasy.
Celine, standing nearby, stole a glance at Arianne. She could sense it—the slight stiffness in Arianne’s posture, the way she kept avoiding eye contact.
She sighed quietly before turning to Lumina. “San kayo pupunta after this?”
Maeve looked up while fixing her in-ear monitors. “Quirino Grandstand. May invite kami to perform, pero three songs lang.”
Celine nodded, pretending to be casual. “Can I come?”
Sasha smirked, never one to miss an opportunity to tease. “Bakit? Gusto mong panoorin si Mavis?”
Celine’s brows shot up, and she quickly shook her head. “No—ay, I mean…” She scratched the back of her neck, trying to act indifferent. “Wala naman akong gagawin, so…”
Mavis chuckled, nudging Celine. “Tara lang, wala namang bawal.”
But the truth was, Celine didn’t care about watching Mavis. She wanted to watch Arianne.
Arianne, who had been pretending not to listen, felt her heart skip a beat. Did Celine want to go because of her?
Maeve shrugged. “Sure. Pero wag kang mang-agaw ng spotlight ha.”
Celine just rolled her eyes and followed them toward their van.
Inside the van, the teasing continued.
Sasha leaned forward, eyes twinkling with mischief. “So, how was it?”
Celine blinked. “What?”
Sasha smirked. “The kissing scene with Mavis. Masarap ba?”
Mavis groaned loudly, covering her face. “Sasha, shut up!”
Maeve cackled. “Grabe, pati kami kinakabahan kanina. Direc even told you guys to make it more romantic.”
Mavis groaned again. “Pwede bang ibang topic naman?”
Celine, unaffected, just shrugged. “Okay lang.”
Sasha gasped dramatically. “Lang? Grabe ka naman, Celine. Baka ma-offend si Mavis.”
Celine chuckled. “Sorry na, Mavis. Ang galing mong umarte.”
Mavis gave her a deadpan look. “Hindi ako na-offend, gusto ko lang matapos ‘tong usapan na ‘to.”
They all laughed—except for Arianne.
She was sitting at the far end, her gaze fixed outside the window, pretending to be occupied with the view. The teasing, the laughter—it was all harmless, but it didn’t stop the uncomfortable weight settling in her chest.
Celine’s eyes flickered toward Arianne.
She could see the slight stiffness in her girlfriend’s shoulders, the way she was unusually silent while the others were joking around.
Celine smirked to herself. Selos ka na naman, no?
Shaking her head slightly, she leaned back against her seat. If Arianne was going to be jealous, Celine knew exactly how to fix it later.
The backstage was buzzing with energy—crew members moving around, performers warming up, and staff making final adjustments. But amidst the noise and chaos, Arianne remained silent, seated in the corner with her arms crossed, scrolling aimlessly through her phone.
Celine stole a glance at her from a distance, sighing quietly. She knew Arianne was still bothered. And even if she wanted to talk to her, they were in public. She couldn’t risk drawing attention.
Instead, she took out her phone and quickly typed a message:
Celine:Mahal, what’s wrong?
She watched as Arianne's screen lit up. Arianne read it—but instead of replying, she locked her phone and placed it face down beside her.
Celine felt a pang of worry in her chest.
Ay, ganun? Talagang dedma na ako?
She bit her lip, her mind racing for a way to make it up to her. Then, an idea popped into her head.
“I’ll be back,” Celine announced.
Maeve glanced at her. “San ka pupunta?”
Celine casually shrugged. “Bibili lang ako ng something.”
Sasha smirked. “Para kanino kaya ‘yang something na ‘yan?”
Celine just laughed and waved them off as she exited backstage.
Driving away from the venue, Celine already knew what to get—Arianne’s favorites: a Yumburger and a Choco Barley Frappe.
But as she parked near a fast-food chain, a thought hit her.
Wait lang… paano kung mahalata?
If she bought food just for Arianne, the others would definitely suspect something.
“Dammit,” she muttered under her breath before deciding to buy food for everyone instead. That way, it wouldn’t be obvious.
After ordering a bunch of burgers, fries, and drinks, she made sure to get Arianne’s drink last so she could grab it first when she got back.
When Celine returned, the members of Lumina were resting. Since they were second to the last to perform, they still had a couple of hours to prepare.
“Wow, daming food,” Maeve said as Celine placed the bags down.
Sasha grinned. “Grabe, Celine, nagpapalakas ka ba sa’min?”
Celine just laughed. “Para hindi kayo magutom.”
Mavis, who had been stretching, smiled. “Uy, ang thoughtful naman.”
Just as Sasha was about to grab a Choco Barley Frappe, Celine quickly snatched it first before anyone could touch it. She acted like nothing happened, just casually smiling as she handed out food to everyone.
She gave Mavis a drink and a burger before making her way to Arianne, who was still quiet in her seat.
Celine kneeled slightly, handing her the Choco Barley Frappe.
She leaned in and whispered, “Drink this, mahal. We’ll talk later.”
Arianne stiffened, her eyes darting around, checking if anyone had heard. When she saw that the others were too distracted eating, she acted natural.
“Thanks, Celine.” Her voice was casual, but her fingers brushed against Celine’s hand for a split second as she took the drink.
Celine just winked at her before walking back to her seat, acting like nothing happened.
But Arianne?
She hid her smile behind the straw as she took a sip.
Hours later…
The atmosphere was electric. The lights dimmed for a second before the LED screens flashed the LUMINA logo, making the crowd erupt in deafening cheers.
The screams grew louder as Arianne, Mavis, Maeve, and Sasha confidently walked onto the stage. The stadium lights shined down on them, their outfits glittering under the spotlight.
Celine, standing in the audience near the side of the stage, couldn’t take her eyes off Arianne.
As the members waved and positioned themselves, Celine caught Arianne’s gaze. Without hesitation, she raised her hand and gave a small fighting! hand sign.
Arianne, who had been feeling uneasy before the performance, felt a warmth spread through her chest at the simple gesture. She tried to fight the small smile threatening to appear but failed.
She nodded slightly before focusing on the performance.
The cameras flashed wildly, capturing every moment—including Celine.
She noticed some fans were taking pictures of her and knew exactly what that meant.
For sure, mag-iisip na naman sila na nandito ako para kay Mavis.
It wasn’t surprising. The internet had already been obsessed with the idea of her and Mavis as a loveteam. Seeing her in the audience only fueled the speculation more.
But she didn’t care.
Because right now, her attention was only on Arianne.
The music started—a high-energy beat that sent waves of excitement through the crowd. The bass rumbled through the speakers as Lumina’s voices blended seamlessly.
Arianne took center stage for the opening lines.
Her voice rang clear and strong, filled with the same passion that had captivated Celine back in college.
Damn… she’s really amazing.
Celine found herself lost in the performance, watching as Arianne’s expressions changed effortlessly—from sultry gazes to playful winks that made the audience scream louder.
She always knew Arianne had the talent, but seeing her now—**owning the stage, commanding the crowd’s attention—**Celine felt something swell in her chest.
College girl Arianne would be so proud of her now.
She had reached her dreams.
She was a superstar.
And she was breathtaking.
Throughout the performance, Arianne stole glances toward Celine.
At first, she told herself it was just to check if Celine was still watching.
But the more she looked, the more she realized—Celine’s gaze never wavered.
Even when the crowd screamed louder whenever Mavis and Celine’s pictures were flashed on the big screen, Celine’s focus never left her.
It made Arianne’s heart race.
She turned her attention back to the performance, putting even more energy into her moves and vocals.
If Celine was watching, she wanted to make sure she saw the best version of her.
Because even after all these years, Arianne still wanted to impress her.
As they reached the final chorus, the entire venue sang along.
Celine felt chills.
The way Lumina controlled the stage was insane. The way Arianne’s voice soared above the music, filled with so much raw emotion, made Celine fall even harder.
She’s incredible.
As the last note rang out, the members struck their final pose, breathing heavily but smiling.
The crowd went wild.
LUMINA had once again proven why they were one of the biggest groups in the industry.
And as Celine clapped along with everyone else, she couldn’t help but smile.
Because she knew better than anyone—
Arianne wasn’t just a superstar.
She was her superstar.
As LUMINA wrapped up their performance, the MC returned to the stage, smiling widely. The crowd was still buzzing with excitement, their cheers echoing across the venue.
MC: “Wow! That was incredible! Let’s give another round of applause for LUMINA!”
The audience erupted into screams, waving their lightsticks in synchronized motions. The energy was insane, and all four members of LUMINA were still catching their breath, their smiles radiant.
MC: “You girls never fail to amaze us. How do you feel about that performance?”
Maeve took the mic first, grinning. “It’s always a pleasure performing in front of our fans! You guys give us so much energy, we love you!”
The crowd responded with louder cheers.
Mavis followed. “Thank you so much for your support! We worked hard for this performance, so we hope you enjoyed it.”
When it was Sasha’s turn to speak, the LED screen behind them suddenly changed, flashing a close-up of Maeve and Arianne.
The venue instantly erupted into deafening screams.
Maeve and Arianne, confused at first, glanced at the big screen—and then realized that the camera was focused on them.
Maeve, being the playful one, smirked and tilted her head to rest on Arianne’s shoulder.
The audience’s reaction was even louder.
The cheers were wild. The shipping theories were already forming. Fans were losing their minds.
And Celine?
Celine felt a sudden, sharp pang in her chest.
Her jaw tensed as she watched the scene unfold. Of course. The fans would go crazy for this.
She wasn’t the type to get jealous easily, but this—**seeing her girlfriend being shipped with someone else, hearing the crowd lose their minds over it—**yeah, it definitely stung.
And then—
MC: “Actually, we have a special guest in the audience today! You guys probably noticed her already—please welcome, Celine!”
Celine’s eyes widened. Wait, what?
The screams became even louder.
She barely had time to react before a staff member signaled her to go up.
Crap. I should’ve expected this.
With no other choice, she walked toward the stage, keeping her expression neutral.
As Celine stepped onto the stage, she gave a polite smile and waved at the audience.
MC: “Celine, it’s great to have you here! Everyone, give it up for Celine!”
The crowd cheered wildly, and she swore she could hear some fans chanting her name alongside Mavis’.
Crap. This is exactly why I didn’t want to come up here.
She turned her head slightly, only to lock eyes with Arianne.
For a brief second, they exchanged silent glances.
There was something in Arianne’s gaze—a flicker of something unreadable.
Was she surprised? Amused? Jealous?
Celine wasn’t sure, but before she could dwell on it, Mavis leaned slightly toward her.
Mavis (grinning): “Didn’t expect to be up here, huh?”
Celine chuckled softly, keeping her cool. “Yeah, no warning at all.”
The MC laughed before speaking again. “Celine, you and Mavis are one of the hottest loveteams right now. Fans are thrilled to see you here supporting her. How does it feel?”
Celine forced a casual smile. “It’s always nice to support my co-stars.”
A non-answer. Safe, polite, neutral.
But of course, the fans only took that as a confirmation of their fantasies.
The crowd went crazy again.
Arianne, standing beside her, remained quiet.
I should be standing next to her, Celine thought. Not Mavis.
Then, as if fate wanted to play with her emotions even more, she suddenly felt the slightest brush of Arianne’s fingers against hers.
It was so subtle that no one could have noticed—except her.
Her body reacted instinctively, a small shiver running through her.
She glanced at Arianne again, but her girlfriend was already looking elsewhere, acting as if nothing happened.
Celine smirked slightly.
Two could play this game.
As the teasing died down and the MC wrapped up the segment, Celine let out a small breath.
She turned her head slightly toward Arianne.
This time, Arianne was already looking at her.
There was no smile. No teasing remark.
Just a quiet, unreadable expression.
Celine took a step back, allowing the members to have the spotlight again, but as she did—her fingers brushed against Arianne’s one more time.
She let it linger for just a second.
And just like before, Arianne didn’t pull away.
Instead, her fingers curled slightly—almost like an unconscious reaction.
Celine didn’t say anything.
She just smiled—a small, knowing smile—before stepping back completely.
Because she knew.
No matter how many cameras flashed, no matter how loud the fans screamed, there was only one person she truly belonged to.