CHAPTER ONE: Chinda
Watching my older brother unload coffees from the shop down the street, I can tell by the way his dark brows are lowered and he’s biting on his full lower lip that something is on his mind. I’ve always been a bit jealous that he got the gorgeous looks in the family while I, the only daughter, had to settle for the brains. Not that Rama’s ignorant, but he was never the straight-A student that I am. And while our father wants him to work in his successful auto parts company, Rama wants to be an actor. He’s spent the past several months feeding that passion while visiting family in America.
In Thai, the wordRamameansking, and the name fits my brother perfectly. Both regal and graceful, Rama has our deceased mother’s thick, dark hair, pale complexion, doe eyes, straight nose, and softly shaped mouth. (I’d once thought he’d inherited her sunny disposition as well, but over the years Rama has grown stoic and serious.)
“Is something wrong?” I ask him.
He looks up at me. “Hm? Oh, no. Actually, something good just happened.”
He looks perplexed, as though good things don’t happen to him all the time. With his looks, Rama draws people to him like flies to honey. But he can be very oblivious about it.
“What?” I prompt.
“I’ve been offered an audition,” he tells me.
“What? But you haven’t been gone twenty minutes! You were offered an audition while you were buying coffee?” Only my brother could have something like this happen to him.
Handing me my coffee, he explains, “I slipped on the wet floor, landing on my ass at a woman’s feet. She helped me up, stared at me a moment, and then asked if I had any interest in acting. Crazy, isn’t it?”
“It’s absolutely insane for a normal person, but we’re talking about you. What’s the audition for?”
“She gave me her card.” He reaches into his pants pocket and hands it to me. “She told me to be at the audition tomorrow morning.”
Looking down at the embossed card, my mouth drops open.
“Rama, this woman is a producer at Hearts Productions!”
He nods.
“They produce bl dramas!” When he just looks at me, I huff. “I can’t believe you aren’t more excited about this.”
“I am excited,” he says seriously.
Shaking my head, I return my attention to the card. “Does this mean you’re going to try out for a part in a bl?”
I’ve been a fan of boys’ love dramas—wildly popular shows in Asia that feature young men in romantic relationships—for years. The idea that my brother might get a part in one is blowing my mind.
“I think that’s what she said,” he confirmed.
Letting out a shriek that sends Trumpet, our Pekingese, into a barking fit, I jump up from the table and clap my hands. “I can’t believe this! This is awesome!”
“I haven’t gotten a part yet,” Rama reminds me.
“You will—because I will make it happen even if it kills me. Let me be your assistant. Please! Please, please, please.” Latching onto Rama’s arm, I lay my head on his shoulder.
A slow smile carves a dimple into his left cheek. “Don’t think I don’t see your real motives, Nong Sao. You just want to get close to all the cute boys.”
I lift my chin. “I’m a Y-girl. This is my opportunity to see behind the scenes of a bl drama. Is it really as cut-throat as some rumors say? Are all those clips scripted or real? I swear, you’d better not screw this up for me, Rama. Audition for every part you can.”
“Don’t worry, I will. If I can land a role and make this work, maybe I won’t have to do the internship Pah wants me to do in the new year. Don’t tell him about it, though. He’ll only say it’s a waste of my time.”
“Don’t worry, I have no intention of telling him.” My excitement ebbs. “Do you think you’re up to being one half of a Y-couple, though?”
At his questioning look, I clarify, “Y as inYaoi, the Japanese term for a male/male couple. It isn’t just on camera, you realize. You have to sell your relationship to the fans.“ My brother’s somewhat of a playboy, jumping from woman to woman more often than he changes socks, so I have good reason to be concerned.
“Can you think of a better way to hone my acting skills?” he asks.
Excitement bubbling over, I leave him for my bedroom to message my friends that I am going to see a real bl drama audition.