•° 1998 || Teasing during work hours... 💐

The soundstage was buzzing with technicians adjusting lights, fixing props, and calling out cues, but Rico Yan had only one focus that afternoon: finding new ways to annoy Kali. Ever since this movie project started, he would nudge her with his elbow during rehearsals, make sarcastic comments about her lines, or roll his eyes every time she laughed at something. No one knew why he behaved that way — least of all Kali herself. She was used to being liked on set; she was sweet, funny, and effortlessly friendly, the kind of teen actress who lit up the room just by walking in. But with Rico, it was the exact opposite. He watched her like she was a puzzle he refused to solve. Despite his constant teasing, Kali tried not to take it personally.

Rico was complicated — charming one second, masunget the next, a mix of cool confidence and sudden sharpness that made him hard to read. Everyone else adored him. To the public, he was the perfect teen heartthrob: smart, kind, and irresistibly charismatic. But with her, he acted like every smile she gave was a challenge and every joke she cracked was an offense.

One afternoon during a break, she slipped to the corner of the set to take a call from Mark, her boyfriend. Their voice lines had grown cold lately, and today was no different. His tone was tired, heavy, and she already knew where the conversation was heading before he even said it. By the time he finally muttered the words she’d been dreading, tears gathered in her eyes. She didn’t sob or wail — she simply cried quietly, one hand covering her mouth as she tried to breathe through the hurt. Nearby, Rico was sprawled on a folding chair, half-asleep. The soft hum of the set usually lulled him into short naps, but the sound of her shaky breathing made him open one eye. He sat up, frowning, his irritation quick and sharp. “Hoy… can you keep it down?” he muttered, voice edged with impatience. He hadn’t realized what was happening — all he saw was her disrupting his nap.

One of their co-workers, Kaye, snapped her head in their direction. “Rico, tama na,” she said firmly. “Huwag mo ngang sabihan si Kali ng ganyan. Nagbi-break na nga sila ni Mark, tapos papagalitan mo pa?”

Rico scoffed, looking more annoyed than sympathetic. “Nagbi-break sila? And she’s crying over that?” He clicked his tongue and shook his head, like the whole thing was ridiculous. “Grabe naman. Ang babaw.”

He stood up, arms crossed, eyes still narrowed at her — but something flickered behind the annoyance. “Seriously, Kali. You shouldn’t be crying over something that stupid,” he muttered, tone sharp but unexpectedly honest. “If he’s dumping you like that…” He paused, jaw tightening.

“Then that jerk Mark probably doesn’t even deserve you.” He turned away quickly, like he couldn’t believe he’d actually said it. And Kali was left staring at him — confused, hurt, and suddenly aware that Rico Yan was much harder to figure out than she ever realized.