Beyond the Screen - LOH #224

_{This post is written as a response to the prompt by the Ladies of Hive community which the contest post can be found here}

_{"Write a fictional synopsis of a Hivian you follow based on his or her interests in any setting whether it be historical, romantic, action thriller, adventure, or other genre."}

If there's something Merit enjoys and loves, it is love stories. She could spend hours watching Korean movies, especially romantic ones, where people fall in love in the most magical ways, like love at first sight, which happens so real. You know that scene where two people bump into each other by accident, sharing an umbrella in the rain or confessing their feelings in a beautiful garden or train station park. A lot of times, she has dreamt of having a love story, so perfect and real just like that.

But in reality, Merit's days aren't so exciting. She works as a ghost writer and loves writing scripts mostly on love stories for some TV media. She enjoyed her job just like her beloved Korean movies, but there was one problem - her boss would sometimes get on her nerves, telling to her face how bad she was; the ugly compliment she'd ever received was her boss lashing at her about how her scripts don't feel real. He says, "It's like you've never been in love before." In a way, he's right. To Merit, the truth is so bitter like a kolanut.

But one day, Merit's decision to change that was the click. "If I must write a great love story, I must experience it myself," she'd silently said in her little corner of the office. Immediately, she drafted a list of all the romantic things that happen in her favourite movies - like getting caught in the rain, a dramatic love confession, being embraced by a young handsome boy on the train and maybe even a love triangle. Where she's stuck now is how to make them happen in real life and not just penned down in a small book.

That's when she meets Raymond, her next-door neighbour. He's never a guy who often comes out, he appears and disappears just like a flashlight but on this beautiful day, heaven decided to grant Merit's wish. Raymond owns a small restaurant and he is also a Nigerian-Korean chef. Unlike Merit, Ray doesn't believe in romantic gestures. He grew up to only have one belief about love: it's about being kind and staying by someone's side, not about running through garden parks or dramatic kisses in the rain or inside a bus filled with people.

Still, Raymond wanted to help Merit fulfil her plan. He would watch her as she creates her own love story - going on awkward dates and waiting for special moments to happen. But as time goes on and with a different personality from Raymond, Merit starts to realize that her world of fantasy is a completely different one and wouldn't be possible, that real love isn't about perfect scenes, just as she has always seen in movies. It's about the small, everyday moments that make two people's hearts giggle and stay happy.

Now, Merit is faced with two big options as the deadline is approaching and she needs to decide real quick - will she go after the love story she's always dreamed and fantasised of, or will she go for the real love that has been growing in front of her all along even if it doesn't follow the script?

_{This story is inspired by a beautiful Hivian who absolutely loves K-drama romance. If you're reading this, @merit.ahama, I hope you enjoy it!}

_{Both images are imagined with Meta AI}