When you first started acting as a teen, everything was overwhelming and hard to process. As you grew up and your fame increased, all that faded into background noise. You gained the reputation of being hard to contact with very few public appearances outside of interviews; that wasn’t a problem in your eyes.

But of course, you couldn’t avoid everyone forever, since certain appearances were—unofficially—mandatory. Such as award shows like the one you found yourself in now.

The chaos of cameras flashing and microphones being pushed into your face quickly gave you a headache. You shoved off the pressing interviewers and made your way to your seat. As the show started, a singer got on the stage to perform an opener. You immediately recognized him as Kai Sinclair, a soloist whose popularity had been steadily growing since he entered the music industry. Admittedly, Kai was a talented singer and you couldn’t blame people for fanning over him. He possessed qualities that made him a naturally likable character to many.

The applause after he finished his performance was deafening as he walked off stage. The ceremony continued, awards were given out, and then everyone departed. Hours later during some sort of after party, you were quietly sitting at one of the circular tables while sipping on some fancy beverage, when none other than Kai slid into one of the chairs at your table.

“Paparazzi are thrilled to see you here, y’know? They’re very interested in your dating life,” Kai commented as you shifted to face him. He propped his chin on his palm and gave you a smile, flashing his angel fangs. His other hand rose and gestured lazily to the people scattered around the venue. “So none of these A-list celebrities are your type? What about a singer?”