"Yes, I'm Indian. And I'm also a travel vlogger," Rahul admitted openly.
Before Wannida could even speak, her talent manager immediately approached Rahul, her eyes practically gleaming with corporate strategy.
"Mr. Rahul, is it? Do you currently have a talent agency representing you?"
"How many followers do you have across all social media platforms in India?"
"Are you currently bound by any exclusivity contracts?"
The manager's rapid-fire barrage of questions left Rahul slightly stunned. What was happening? Was she trying to scout him to be a Thai idol?
Seeing Rahul hesitate, the manager immediately softened her tone and explained:
"It's like this, Mr. Rahul. Our Wannida currently needs to break into the massive Indian market to increase her international exposure. If your metrics meet our requirements, we can collaborate."
"You could film your vlogs featuring Wannida and post them on your Indian social media platforms. If necessary, the two of you could form a PR couple—an on-screen romance—and create some viral shipping hype. The compensation is highly negotiable; we can sit down and discuss the details right now."
After finishing her pitch, the manager looked at Rahul with a confident smile. She believed that absolutely no man could refuse a collaboration with someone as sweet and breathtakingly cute as Wannida. She was just that confident in her artist.
Meanwhile, Wannida was staring at Rahul's striking face, her long eyelashes blinking incessantly.
Where have I seen him before? she thought. She would definitely remember a guy this ridiculously handsome. But hearing her manager suggest they form an on-screen couple made her heart flutter wildly. This would be her very first time doing a romantic publicity stunt with a boy, and she was incredibly nervous.
Would he even agree?
While Wannida was lost in her anxious thoughts, Rahul spoke up.
"I don't have a talent agency; I'm a completely independent freelancer. My total subscribers across YouTube and Instagram exceed 1.2 million. But I do have a global endorsement contract with a major clothing brand. However..."
Hearing this, the manager's eyes instantly lit up. "Then we can definitely collaborate! A clothing endorsement contract is not a conflict of interest at all. However... what, Mr. Rahul?"
Rahul simply took out his phone, opened his YouTube channel, and handed it to the manager.
"Strictly speaking, my channel's niche is 'global travel and romance.' My video style mainly focuses on flirting and interacting with different women around the world."
"I'm afraid my 'global heartbreaker' persona might not support a wholesome romantic stunt with Miss Wannida."
Rahul's concern was entirely valid. It was obvious SGE Entertainment wanted to groom Wannida as a pure, untouched "National First-Love" goddess. He had a bit of a playboy persona online; putting the two together might spark the wrong kind of controversy for her.
But if the manager didn't see it as a problem, then he was completely fine with it. After all, Wannida was truly sweet-looking. If she appeared in his vlogs, his Indian followers would definitely lose their minds. Not to mention the sweet Charm Points he would harvest.
But Rahul never expected that the manager would get more excited after seeing his video style and the exaggerated amount of likes, comments, and engagement.
"Mr. Rahul, it's perfect! It is absolutely perfect!"
"This is exactly the style of video we need! Our company wants to groom Wannida into a Love Song Goddess; we need exactly this kind of intense, ambiguous romantic tension to make her music viral! Your image, your rugged masculinity, and your bad-boy temperament are the absolute perfect contrast for our sweet Wannida."
"If you act flirtatiously with her on camera, I guarantee the videos will break the internet in both our countries! Please, trust my professional eye!"
Saying that, the manager directly grabbed Wannida's arm, pushed her right next to Rahul, and beamed with a highly satisfied expression.
Suddenly pushed against Rahul's solid shoulder, Wannida—who had never even been in a real relationship—felt a rush of intense shyness. Her face burned, and she quickly lowered her head to look at her small leather shoes.
"Are you sure about this?" Rahul asked, genuinely surprised.
"Very sure! Please trust a veteran agent's instincts!" The manager was practically vibrating with excitement. Fearing Rahul would decline, she quickly added, "The price is highly negotiable. How about 500,000 Thai Baht per vlog?"
Since things had reached this point, Rahul immediately agreed. The money (roughly ₹11.5 Lakhs) was just a nice bonus; what Rahul really wanted was to experience that innocent, high-school-crush feeling of first love.
"Okay. I'll give it a try."
"Fantastic!" The manager extended her hand. Rahul reached out and shook it firmly.
"By the way, can you sing?" the manager suddenly asked.
Wannida looked up, staring at Rahul with wide, curious eyes.
With a thought, Rahul quickly opened the System panel in his mind, took a glance at the Advanced Gear Shop, and then quickly closed it.
He offered a modest smile. "I can sing a little."
Hearing his positive reply, the manager looked delighted. "Good, great! This fits the narrative perfectly! It's too late tonight, but I'll arrange the contract and a script for you before noon tomorrow."
Hearing this, Rahul immediately shook his head. "Forget the script. If we script it, it will look stiff and forced. My audience will see right through it. I have my own ideas for the filming; we keep it natural."
Seeing Rahul's firm, uncompromising attitude, the manager thought for a moment and then nodded. "Fine. Then starting tomorrow, Wannida will shadow you to film the vlogs. I look forward to your final product."
After the logistics were settled, Rahul, Wannida, and the manager exchanged contact information, adding each other on Line and WhatsApp.
"Where are you staying, Mr. Rahul? I'll have our corporate van take you back to your hotel," the manager offered.
"I'm staying at the Hilton Pattaya on Beach Road."
"What a coincidence! So are we!"
Rahul followed Wannida and her manager into the SGE Entertainment luxury van. They left the hospital and cruised down Beach Road toward the Hilton.
Along the way, Wannida sat quietly, covertly observing Rahul's sharp profile in the dim light of the van.
Suddenly, it clicked. Wannida remembered exactly where she had seen Rahul before!
It was on the massive digital billboards covering the Siam Paragon mall! This Indian man named Rahul was the new, viral global spokesperson for the luxury streetwear brand, Santiya!
No wonder; anyone would remember such a striking face after seeing it blown up on a fifty-foot LED screen.
He's so mysterious, she thought. He's a famous vlogger and a high-fashion model. And he said he could sing too? If she formed an on-screen couple with him for publicity, would she get to hear him sing to her? She wondered if his voice was as deep and captivating as his speaking tone.
At this moment, Wannida felt a wave of intense nervousness for absolutely no reason at the thought of filming a "date" video with Rahul tomorrow. However, when she sneaked another glance at his handsome face, her nervousness was replaced by a fluttering sense of anticipation.
Will we have to pretend to hold hands? What should I do? I have zero experience with boys! Wannida stared at Rahul, lightly biting her lip, her mind racing with chaotic thoughts until the van finally pulled into the hotel driveway.
Rahul's premium suite was on a lower floor than Wannida's executive room. He stepped out of the elevator first, offering Wannida a charming, gentlemanly wave.
"Goodnight, Wannida. Get some rest."
It wasn't until the elevator doors fully closed that Rahul turned and walked into his room.
Setting down his heavy camera gear, Rahul immediately opened the System panel. Without hesitation, he exchanged the 1 Charm Point he had earned from Divya yesterday for the [Music Mastery] skill.
His philosophy was simple: earn Charm Points in Thailand, spend them in Thailand. He needed to be fully equipped for this new storyline.
As the Charm Point was deducted, Rahul felt a brief, intense wave of dizziness, but his mind cleared completely after a few seconds.
"Is it done?" he muttered to himself. "Let's test it."
Rahul cleared his throat and opened his mouth, singing the opening lines to a classic, soulful Arijit Singh melody.
The tone was absolutely flawless. His breathing was perfectly steady, and his voice possessed a deep, resonant, magnetic quality that lingered beautifully in the quiet hotel room. At the same time, a massive, comprehensive library of music theory, composition, and pitch control flooded into his memory. Producing or writing original songs would definitely be a walk in the park now!
As expected, the upgrades provided by the Karma System were always top-tier!
Meanwhile, several floors above in Wannida's room...
Thinking about her impending "date" with Rahul tomorrow, the usually disciplined, sweet young idol was actually tossing and turning on her bed, completely unable to sleep.
She bolted upright, throwing her blankets off, and ran to her open suitcase.
"What clothes should I wear tomorrow? Should I go for cute or elegant? And what makeup should I do?!"
"Ugh, it's so hard to choose!"