Chapter 28: Officially Meet

Third Person's POV

Because Dara's fan club has a new president, they hold a small event to honor the new officer.

The restaurant they rent isn't large, but it's enough to accommodate all the participants. Some artwork decorates the walls, creating a lively atmosphere.

Several officers from other branches and Eli attend the gathering.

"Oh my gosh! It's Eli," the president of the Laguna chapter whispers excitedly to her friend.

"I've seen her many times, but I'm still starstruck," says the president of the Manila fan club.

Eli sits quietly near the front, listening to the speech of the former president, Petina.

After Petina finishes speaking, the new president, Ilay, steps up. He was wearing a brown blazer, a white shirt underneath, black loosen pants, and white dirty shoes that made him look like a nerdy person.

Eli focuses intently on Ilay speech.

'He looks nice, but I sense something different about him,' Eli thinks to herself. She feels uneasy because of the new president's aura but she can't pinpoint what it is.

The atmosphere in the room changes as Ilay begins to speak. His presence commands attention, and the audience quiets down to listen.

Eli continues to observe him, trying to understand why she feels this way.

"Hmm, hello everyone. I'm Illay. I'm the new president of the Lilies," Illay begins.

Ilay's speech is confident and well-prepared. He talks about his plans for the fan club and how he hopes to bring everyone together. The members applaud enthusiastically, but Eli remains cautious.

After the speech, the attendees mingle and chat. Eli stays seated, deep in thought.

The new president seems kind and introverted. Because of this, many people start whispering to their seatmates, especially those who're eager hoping to join the Official Lilies Officers.

"Is he really the new president?" one guest asks.

"He doesn't seem fit for the role," another comments.

"This is ridiculous! They chose someone so insignificant," someone else complains.

Eli notices the murmurs but decides to stay silent. She wants to see how the new president handles such remarks and backlash.

Other officers in front hear the comments too, especially Petina, the former president. She stands a bit closer, signaling encouragement to him.

"It looks like some of you think I'm not suited for this position, and I agree with you. This role is far from my previous position as treasurer or what others called accountant. Because of my appearance, you might see me as a nobody. But I assure you, with the trust given to me by the other officers, by Ms. Petina, and by Dara, whom we all idolize, I, Ilay, will fulfill my duties beyond your expectations," he says confidently.

The crowd is amazed by how bold Ilay is and he captures their attention. The whispers of negative comments turn into admiration and respect.

"Wow. Now that I look closely, he's actually quite handsome. Maybe he just needs to take off his glasses," one person comments.

"Yeah. I think he might have muscles too. See those fitted sleeves?" another adds.

"He's also smart," one added.

Admiration fills the room, making Ilay smile a little bit. This makes the crowd even more excited.

Ilay continues his speech and then steps down to greet the guests.

Everyone approaches Ilay, asking him all sorts of questions. They ask if he has a girlfriend, where he lives, how old he is, and more.

Eli, seated to the side, watches Ilay from a distance, amazed at how shy he is despite all the attention he's getting. The feeling of unease fades away.

After a while, Petina and the other officers, including Ilay, come over to Eli.

"Hi Eli," Petina greets with a smile.

"Hello. Congratulations on your successful event," Eli replies.

"Thank you," Petina says genuinely, smiling. "By the way, this is Ilay. You met him earlier while he was on stage, but I wanted to formally introduce him to you and soon to Dara as well," she says, gesturing to Ilay.

"It's my pleasure to meet you," Ilay says humbly, adjusting his glasses slightly and making a handshake.

"Me too," Eli replied. "Speaking of Dara, she's working today and can't make it here, but she asked if it's okay to meet you all tonight," she shared the news.

"Really?" Franny says excitedly.

"Oh my gosh! I'm in," Gianna adds, equally excited.

"Me too! Even though I've met her many times, the thought of seeing her again always excites me," Unse chimes in.

"Perfect, so she can meet Ilay too," Petina says, grabbing Ilay's arm, which startles him.

"W-what? Me?" Ilay stammers. "B-but—," he hesitates before Petina interrupts him.

"What are you saying? Are you still shy about meeting her?" Petina says to Ilay. "Now that you're the president of her fan club, you'll see her more often, so you should get used to it," she adds, giving Ilay a gentle pat on the back to cheer him up.

"But, it's just that," Ilay hesitates, adjusting his glasses again.

"Oh, come on, Ilay," Unse chimes in. "Our Purple Princess herself invited us. It would be embarrassing to turn her down, right?" he adds logically.

"Come on," Franny insists.

"Yeah, this is a rare chance. She's always busy, so we're lucky to meet her," Gianna says.

"Exactly. Think of it as an exclusive fan meet with our Princess," Unse says, smiling broadly at Ilay.

With their persuasive encouragement, Ilay finally agrees.

After the event, they went out and went to the restaurant Dara reserved for them. They sit inside and wait for Dara to arrive. Eli chats with the officers and advises Ilay not to be nervous around Dara later.

The sun's slowly going down and Petina began to feel uncomfortable.

Since Petina is pregnant and feeling a bit nauseous, she excuses herself and asks the group to give her regards to Dara when she arrives.

A few minutes after Petina leaves, Dara arrives at the restaurant.

As soon as Dara walks in, Eli waves to her, and she approaches their table. Lizzie and Dara's bodyguard sit at an empty table near Eli's group.

"Hello, guys," Dara greets everyone cheerfully.

"He-hello," everyone responds, starstruck.

Dara takes off her facemask and sits in an empty seat next to Eli. The restaurant isn't crowded, so Dara can move freely.

Everyone is mesmerized by Dara's beauty. Her face is flawless, without a single pimple or dark spot. Her fair complexion perfectly matches her cute pink shirt and pants. She smells wonderfully fresh, like freshly laundered clothes, a scent that is addictive. Her presence lights up the entire place.

While everyone is mesmerized by Dara, Ilay nervously tries to hide his face. He adjusts his glasses and looks around anxiously, like a restless puppy in his seat.

Franny snaps out of her daze.

"Oh, by the way, this is Ilay," she says, pointing to him. "He's the new president of your fan club," she adds politely.

"Hello, Ilay. Nice to meet you," Dara says with a smile, extending her right hand for a handshake.

Ilay looks at his companions, seemingly watching him to respond.

"He-hello," He slowly raises his left hand to meet Dara's still-extended hand.

After the handshake, Dara speaks again.

"Hey, don't be nervous around me. I promise, I won't bite," Dara jokes to lighten the mood, sensing Ilay's nervousness.

Everyone smiles at this, knowing how playful Dara can be.

"O-ok," Ilay responds, still a bit anxious.

Dara smiles, and everyone is once again captivated by her beauty. The smiles from earlier turn into awe as they admire her even more.

Ilay is especially struck, seeing how slow the surroundings are. To him, Dara's smile feels warm, and it helps ease his nervousness.

"But the way, where's Petina?" Dara asked curiously when she noticed she was not with them.

"Oh, yah!" Eli said, remembering about her. "She was with us earlier but she started to feel uncomfortable so we decided to make her leave first to rest," she explained.

"I see. How sad but I hope she's fine," Dara said worriedly. "Anyways, I want to personally thank you guys for all your hard work," Dara says, showing her appreciation.

"For you, Princess, we'll do anything," Unse quickly replies, making Dara laugh.

Even the smallest reaction from Dara means the world to them. The whole meeting is filled with laughter and joy, thanks to Unse's constant jokes and Franny's playful bickering with him.

"Just call me Dara," she insists when all of them aside Eli calling her as Purple Princess.

"But you're our Princess!" Unse said, half drunk.

"What are you-! You want to oppose her?" Franny is immersed in the conversation. "If she said just call her Dara, just call her Dara!" she added, weaning him.

"But. What would happen to our one and only Princess?" Unse said mischievously.

"Hayst!" Franny replies, feeling tired for weaning him. "Just drink and shut up."

Ilay on the other hand quietly observes from the sidelines and occasionally joins in the conversation only if needed or if they notice him.

"How about you Ilay? When did you start idolizing her?" Gianna asked. They are talking about how they first discover Dara and become her fan.

"Hmm," Ilay hesitantly said, thinking how to answer. "I first saw her in the tv commercial and then started watching her," he said, looking secretly shy to Dara.

"Ohh!" Gianna satisfiedly says.

The meeting ends with lots of noise and laughter. Eventually, everyone starts to say their goodbyes.

Dara and Eli are the first to leave, getting into their car with Lizzie and the bodyguard. The others follow shortly after.

As usual, Ilay is the last to leave. Waiting outside the restaurant for a few minutes later, a black car pulls up in front of him.

"Boss," a man says.

~To Be Continued~