Chapter 257: Luna

"I can’t help but commend you, Gray..."As the interview neared its end, Luna couldn’t help but say her honest words regarding their interview today. The corner of her lips rose to a soft smile, and her eyes also shone with genuine amusement.

"You’ve given us more than just a story tonight. You’ve given us your new perspective in this world."

Gray chuckled at that. He gave a small and almost sheepish smile before bowing his head slightly in thanks.

"Unfortunately," Luna continued again before glancing toward the cameras, "that’s all the time we have for this segment. But before we wrap up," she turned back to Gray.

"Gray, thank you for being here with us tonight. Your honesty, your heart, and your story have surely touched many people watching."

The audience clapped once more, followed by a mixture of cheers and whistles. Some nodded vigorously as if truly agreeing with Luna’s words.

After a while, Luna raised her hand toward the crowd.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please give it up one last time for Mr. Gray Adams!"

The crowd’s cheers erupted again. Gray took that as a chance to stand up. He faced the crowd and bowed lightly toward them and then to Luna. As he did that, he could hear the sound of his heart hammering on his chest, though it was definitely lighter than before.

"Thank you for having me," he said to the crowd and Luna, his tone filled with sincerity.

"Thank you, Gray. And to everyone watching this show at their own homes. We now have to say goodbye to Mr. Adams."

With that, Luna’s smile widened as she motioned for Gray. The cameras panned to the crowd, waving and saying goodbye to Gray. The house lights dimmed slightly, and the closing theme music began to play as Gray stepped off the stage.

What was awaiting Gray on the side was the same floor assistant. He gave the man a sqift nod before they proceeded to go to the backstage area.

Now surrounded by silence, he could still feel the warmth of the people’s applause in his chest.

’It’s actually not that bad...’ he muttered to himself.

He remembered how nervous he was coming here. But when he was already in the stage, those feelings just magically decreased.

’Luna is also such a good host,’ he chuckled. The thought of meeting his childhood crush sent pure bliss to his mind.

He didn’t know that he would get to have this chance. It must also be one of the reasons why his nervousness disappeared earlier. Luna was such a good host. Their conversation just flowed naturally, and her questions were all nice and direct.

"Mr. Adams, we’re going back to your waiting room first."

"Alright,"

Gray followed the assistant back through the hallway. They took the elevator again and walked for more. Finally, when they reached the familiar waiting room, the door was already open.

Just like when they left, Mara was still inside. She was seated on one of the chairs, scrolling through her phone. When footsteps sounded on the door, her gaze went upward.

"There he is," Mara muttered brightly the moment Gray walked in. She crossed her arms, and her lips curved into a teasing smile.

"The star of the night."

Gray let out a chuckle. He loosened his tie a little as he stepped inside. Finally, he could be himself without any restraint.

"You’re exaggerating."

"Exaggerating? Please," Mara teased before walking over to him. "I saw the news! The crowd was eating up every single word you said. If I didn’t know you better, I’d think you’d been doing this your whole life."

Gray raised his brows and smirked faintly.

"Really? I thought I was shaking the entire time."

"Well, you didn’t look like it." Mara patted his arm with a playful tap. "You handled it well. Congrats, Gray. That was a success."

Her words carried both relief and pride, which Gray deeply appreciated. His smile became wider.

"Thanks. I guess I didn’t embarrass myself then."

"You didn’t. In fact," Mara leaned in slightly, her tone became teasing once again, "you might’ve made Luna blush once or twice. Or maybe that was just me imagining it."

Gray glared at her. "Don’t start with that."

He knew that it wasn’t the case. Mara was just teasing him because they both knew that he adored the actress back then.

Mara laughed out loud. She held onto her stomach as tears pooled in her eyes.

"Alright, alright. I’ll stop... for now."

Just as they were about to settle down, the floor assistant from earlier cleared his throat. He scratched the back of his head before looking at Gray.

"Sir Adams, please stay here for a moment. Ms. Luna wants to talk to you once she’s finished closing the program."

"Luna... wants to talk to me?" Gray blinked slowly, processing the words that he just heard.

"Yes, sir. She’ll be here shortly," the assistant confirmed before stepping out again.

Gray stood still, the words slowly sinking in. He exchanged a glance with Mara, who raised her brows too in surprise.

"Well, well," Mara said, her tone laced with amusement. "Looks like someone caught her attention."

Gray rubbed the back of his neck, unsure whether to feel nervous or excited.

"I... didn’t see that coming." Gray let out a slow breath and gave a small nod. "Alright... we’ll wait."

The assistant smiled politely.

"It won’t be long, sir. Ms. Luna is just closing the program right now. After that, she’ll come here directly."

"Alright. Thanks." Gray nodded.

"I’ll get going then, Sir."

When the door closed again, silence filled the room. Gray sat down heavily on the couch, his shoulders relaxing for the first time since leaving the stage. But the calm didn’t last long.

Now that the cameras were gone and the crowd was out of sight, a different kind of nervousness started crawling up his chest.

What exactly were they supposed to talk about now?

With the audience watching earlier, things felt more formal. There was Luna guiding the conversation, there were questions, and he only had to answer honestly and to the best he can.

But now? Without cameras, without the audience, what was he supposed to do? How was he even supposed to act?

’Should I thank her again? Should I act casual? What if I come off too stiff... or worse, awkward?’

Gray pinched the bridge of his nose, shaking his head.

"Damn... I didn’t expect this."

Mara who was staring at the side laughed lightly. She was clearly entertained by his sudden restless energy.

"Relax, Gray. She probably just wants to congratulate you or something. Maybe even a quick photo for her socials."

"That’s wasy for you to say. You weren’t the one who grew up saving a penny to watch her movie on the theater." Gray sighed before shaking his head.

Mara laughed louder at that. She leaned back at her seat and playfully wiggled her brows at him.

"Oh, believe me, I remember. You couldn’t shut up about her in high school. This is basically your dream coming true, Gray. You should be over the moon."

He shot her a look.

"I am. But that’s the problem. How am I supposed to act normal when my childhood crush suddenly wants to talk to me?"

Mara smirked and returned to her phone.

"Figure it out. I’ll just sit here and watch."

Gray groaned quietly, leaning his head back against the couch. The minutes dragged.

What was meant to be a short wait started becoming longer in his mind. Because of his nervousness, he became sensitive with his surrounding. Even the clock on the wall ticked louder than it should have. Every second was like a reminder of his racing thoughts.

10 minutes passed. Then 20. Then, almost 30.

By now, Gray had gone through every possible scenario in his head. Maybe she just wanted to thank him personally. Maybe she wanted feedback about the show. Or maybe it was nothing big at all, and he was overthinking.

Still... he couldn’t ignore the restless thump of his heartbeat every time he imagined her walking through that door.

Then suddenly, a soft knock echoed from the hallway.

"Oh shit."

Gray jolted up immediately. Mara’s head turned too, her lips curving into an amused smirk as if saying, ’Well, here’s your moment.’

Swallowing the lump in his throat, Gray made his way to the door. His hand hesitated for a moment. Inside, his chest was filled with excitement.

’Should I get a selfie with her?’

This was a once-in-a-lifetime chance so how could he not think about getting at least a selfie with her?

With that thought in his mind, he cleared his throat and twisted the knob of the door slowly. He calmed himself and pulled the door open.

And there she was.

Luna.

Her face seemed even brighter up close than it was on stage. Without the harsh lights, she looked even softer and somehow even more beautiful. Her body’s curves were also more noticeable now that she was standing up and without her blazers on.

Her chest was definitely large enough that it was almost popping out of her top. Her waist was tiny, and her hips were curvy.

She didn’t look like her age at all.

Luna’s lips curved into a gentle smile. She stood in front of Gray, all confident.

"Hi, Gray."

That was it. Just two simple words.

And yet, Gray found himself freezing.