Agreement

The guard opened it with the manager's approval. But with what the person outside said, everyone turned dead quiet. "I'm from the Ford Collins Company to interview the idol group for our winter volume magazine," Stella paused.

The guards tried to not act suspicious but everyone's already staring at Stella with confusion. Manager Alex told Ford Collins what is happening with a whisper while Stella takes a deep breath and removed her I.D.

"I don't know who she is," she whispered to the manager who gave back her phone.

"Alright," the manager sighed and let the girl outside in.

Stella smiled at her and tried to act normal as if she's part of the group and not an unknown person who asked for an interview only to find out that someone in her company's posting dumb articles.

"I'm Vanessa, nice to meet you." The girl bowed in front of the idols who look at Stella then to their manager.

Stella examined the girl, she saw her I.D. it's still colored yellow, meaning she's new. Someone who's not introduced yet to the team. Or someone who's not part of the team.

"I want to interview you about uh…" Vanessa suddenly looked lost and pulled a folder from her bag, "About how the group was formed," she continued with an enthusiastic smile.

The manager stared at Stella who looks like someone splashed her with ice-cold water. It's her project. The girl is taking her project. She wanted to ask Vanessa but the manager stopped her and approach the girl.

"Alright, then why don't we start? My idols have to rest for their next album signing," he said then took a seat beside the table and made the girl take a sit in front of the idols.

Stella then was gestured by the manager to take a seat and wait.

While the girl asks the questions which are answered by the idols without having to think since it's a very common question frequently asked, Stella messages her manager to get there fast and catch the culprit.

The manager then contacts the police to put an end to the rumor that's been circulating for quite some time now which is a big threat to the idol's popularity.

"Oh, who is she?" The girl asks while pointing her pen at Stella.

Everyone went silent, not knowing what to say. Is she an assistant manager? A friend? A family member? A reporter from the same company?

Stella showed an embarrassed smile and bowed her head as a sign of respect for Vanessa, "Hello…" she shyly greeted and stands up, "I'm Galen's girlfriend."

Vanessa seemed stunned at first but her eyes glimmer with excitement and pulled her chair beside Stella. The manager smiled while seeing an interesting scene fall before his eyes. The idols tried to suppress their laughter and even took a picture of Stella and their leader, Galen James.

Stella knows that everyone's watching what she's doing, but this girl in front's stealing her project. And even stained the company's name. Her manager will arrive around 10 minutes and she has to keep the girl entertained or else she might run. Since Stella's been doing this for some time, she knows what interviewers are hungry for- the juiciest and deepest secrets of the secrets.

She pretended to be shy and embarrassed, fidgeting her bag and taking soft quick glances at Vanessa.

"Oh, don't be shy. I just want to ask the details about your relationship with the √16's leader, Galen." Vanessa started scribbling words on her notebook while Stella stares at her I.D. with disgust.

"So, how… or where did you guys first meet?" Vanessa asked.

Stella looked at Galen while trying to force her face to blush. The group's manager then pointed at Galen while standing behind Vanessa and gestures him to stand beside Stella The group then looked at each other and pretended to tease him as he stands up.

Vanessa seemed to be excited about what is happening which saddens Stella since she knows she used to feel the same for her first projects. If ever Vanessa's only doing this to be recognized, it'll be a pity.

Galen lazily pulled a chair to sit beside Stella then put his hand around her, pulling her closer. She can smell his cologne which smells like forest and mint combined. It made her feel refreshed and relax, making her smile genuinely. Galen didn't bother since he knows what is happening and just goes with the flow.

"So, how?" Vanessa asked with a wide grin on her face as if she's the one whose heart is thumping from the sweet couple in front of her.

Galen wrinkled his brows, 'What is she asking?' he asked himself since he's too occupied by the latest update of his favorite game that he didn't listen to Vanessa when she went to Stella.

His friends then started mouthing words but he can't understand until Stella spoke.

"We met on a bookshop," she said in a sweet voice. Her eyes staring at Galen's hand on his lap, slowly she reached for it and held it tightly, "It was summer."

He was shocked but he just looked away, 'What is happening?' he asks himself.

His friends then smirked and focused on their leader's made up love story.

"I was checking out if the book I had my eyes for a month's already on sale… It was located at the end of the bookshop so it was quiet though there are a lot of people since the aisle before that was for romance genre book." Stella started to narrate.

Being sleep deprived right now is worth it since the articles about the idol helped her create an ideal love story with the leader. She read that his ideal love story is a book store meeting. Where he and the girl reaches out for the same book and later talk about it but she has to change it to sound less suspicious.

Galen looked at Stella in surprised, it's an ideal place to meet his true love but judging her, she must've collected enough information about them but her narration sounds real. As if it happened.

"Then I saw him," she said and stared at Galen's electric blue eyes but she broke their eye contact before he can even react since she tries to look like she's shy, "He was holding Romantic Cheesy Story by XYZ. I knew he took it from the romance aisle and went to read it at the back since there are fewer people."

Vanessa looked at Galen to see how he reacts but he seemed cool about it like he's not embarrassed, he looks like he's amazed by his own love story which Vanessa took a note on.

"I didn't know it was the Galen of √16 since I am not a fan of any celebrity or singer. And he was wearing this wide hood. So I asked him if he can reach for the book I was looking for," Stella chuckles and fingers Galen's hand with her thumb, "As you can see I'm quite short and there were no chairs around so I asked for his help. Then he looked at me like he's surprised, and now I know why because he's popular and I'm asking him to do something for me, right?" Stella bumps Galen softly to get him engaged.

"What?" He looks at Stella with surprised since he's thinking about the book he was reading before they start the album signing, he didn't listen to the last things Stella said.

But from how Vanessa sees it, he's too shy to admit that his girlfriend's right and he's just shocked to see that someone's asking him to do something even though he's popular.

"So, yeah. He took it. But he wasn't listening to me so he gave me a different book at first and I have to repeat the book's title over and over before he got it," Stella chuckled and rests her head on Galen's shoulder, "You know what?" she asks Vanessa while glancing at her phone.

Her manager's outside, ready to pull Vanessa's hair and destroy her.

"Reading unique and honest articles helps me create scenarios in my head, like this one," Stella's eyes turned sharp and cold as it lays on Vanessa. She lets go of Galen's hand and pulled her I.D. out of her bag to show it to the fake reporter. "Black? How? Because it's full of lies. You interpreted photos which are circulating on the internet with your own opinion to create malice. That is a straight no-no for our company, Miss."

Vanessa's full of terror, she stood up and put her notes inside her bag, "What are you saying?" she said with a trembling voice.

The guards opened the door as Vanessa was on her way but Stella's manager, Coraline is standing in front with her shoes tapping on the tiles with her arms crossed. She stared at Vanessa to collect data if she's part of the team, however, only the name on the I.D. is recognizable. She took a step forward while holding Vanessa's I.D. which made the girl take a step backward.

"Vanessa Torrez, you're not her. This is not your I.D. She's on sick leave before she can even start working. How did you post such disreputable rumor on our page, huh?" Stella's manager moved her head forward, making Vanessa close her eyes as she continues to shake in fear.

While in the middle of their interrogation, police came and took Vanessa. Stella's manager then talked to the idol's group manager about the post and what will happen.

Stella's sitting silently with her thumb tapping on her phone. She felt bad for Vanessa since she will lose her career if she won't destroy Ford Collins' reputation that she used her sick friend's I.D. without her permission to do so.

Galen, who's sitting with his friends, noticed that they are talking about Stella.

"Yeah, she helped us get the rumor cleared. We should at least do her a favor," Everett, the fourth member said while holding a travelogue in his hands, he's planning to travel again. He's been collecting travelogues and maps for his Christmas Adventure for a week now and he already has a plan.

"Then, what if I tag her on my Instagram posts?" Paris said while moving his phone side to side to show the post he is composing. With his 13 million followers, anyone he tags will be the talk of the country and will gain popularity for the next 24-hours.

"I'll give her the Core Diamond from France as a thank you gift if she wants to have it," Keefe said in a flat tone then continues to scroll his phone nonchalantly, as if the Core Diamond does not worth half a billion.

The manager went beside them and sighed with relief, "Boys, just do the interview Miss Stella requested. That's enough," he said then turned to look at Stella who's texting her brother who works for the police department that Vanessa got turned in.

"Miss Nicholas, when do you want to do the interview? I'm sorry but the boys aren't free for the next couple of days," the manager said.

Stella put her phone down and smiled at the manager, "Then, can we do it next week?" she asks politely.

Everything that just happened still surprises her that she can't think straight. She just wants to have a strawberry ice-cream right now.

The manager nodded and smiled, "Then, Monday. Please send me the questions as soon as you finish them for them to review."

Stella was about to nod when she remembered that she already finished the questions, "Oh, wait. I have them here," she said and opened her bag. "Here, you can contact me if you have any questions," she said and pointed at the number written on the folder as she handed it to the manager.

"Alright. Thank you for working with us," the manager smiled and gave Galen the folder. Since he's the leader, he's in charge of studying how to answer the questions with his members who stood up and bowed in front of Coraline and Stella.

"We'll be going then, Mr. Corazon. I'll contact you about the meeting we talked about," Stella's manager said and holds her hand.

"Thank you," Stella smiled and followed Coraline.

It's been a weird day and she's sleep-deprived. For some reason, she wished she did not get this project. She feels bad about Vanessa but she knows she shouldn't be. It's her fault for doing those things. As media personnel, she should know the ethics. Stella sighed as she watches the world pass by the car's window.

"Good work, Stella. Thanks to you we know who's hacking in our page and you stopped a rumor. I'm so glad it was you," her manager said when she noticed that Stella's feeling down. She knows that the issue impacted her emotional state. Stella is too soft-hearted sometimes to deal with such projects. But she's a great writer and asset. All they can do is cheer for their employees to do what is expected of them.

Stella smiled and nodded, "Thank you, Ma'am."

"Remember, you can attend the seminar next year if your project's success. I hear your ex is the guest speaker," Coraline kept her eyes focused on the road but she felt anxious with what she just said.

Stella kept quiet for a while but she just sighs, "Yeah."

It's been three years, she won't let the opportunity go off to talk with him even if it's the last.