Chapter 2
"The trial starts now! First up, our judge: Salena Herrera." When the announcement ended, a girl with black-rimmed glasses and a baggy sweatshirt walked up to the stage.
Salena introduced herself, "I'm the first judge. My question is: Damian, Elaine, what do shippers mean to you?"
The crowd broke into an uproar, obviously thinking the question was way too naive.
"What's her deal, asking about shippers at a love trial?"
"Those shippers are just blinded by their fantasies. Like the couple actually gives a damn about them."
Damian's gloomy expression instantly brightened, a smile spreading across his face.
He jumped in before I could answer, "I really appreciate all my fans who've supported me along the way. No matter what brought you to me, you're all precious to me. Shippers are just as precious."
I saw tears welling up in Salena's eyes and sighed before saying, "No matter what kind of fan you are, it's important to stay rational in your support.
"Thank you for loving me, and I hope you all love yourselves too."
As soon as I finished speaking, the big screen started playing the first segment of the trial.
The first scene was inside a van. Damian suddenly told the driver to pull over and brought me out with him.
The fans in the car behind spotted us and rushed over, excitedly congratulating us and wishing we'd be together forever.
Damian grinned as he accepted plushies from the fans, posing for selfies and signing autographs.
I just stood off to the side, sunglasses on, looking completely aloof.
When fans tried to hand me gifts, I just shook my head and kept my distance, refusing to accept anything.
Compared to Damian's warm and friendly vibe with the fans, I came off as really distant.
[OMG, people are actually shipping this?]
[Elaine couldn't care less about shippers. She doesn't even take their gifts.]
[Seriously, what's up with those celebrities' arrogance?]
[Now this is what it means to be a fan-friendly celeb.]
[That's our Damian for you. He's handsome, kind, and treats his fans like royalty.]
The big screen kept playing, and soon the second video popped up.
This clip was from a dating show Damian and I were on together.
The producers gave us a challenge: we had to do something special to give back to our shippers.
Damian went all out, bringing in thousands of burgers and fried chicken, while I only brought a hundred cups of coffee.
The fans all lined up for Damian's burgers, but barely anyone wanted my coffee.
Some fans glanced at my coffee and started whispering.
"What kind of coffee did Elaine get? Why is there nothing on the cups?"
"Is she trying to pass off some sketchy generic drink on us?"
The live chat was blowing up with comments.
[Even in the small stuff, you can see who someone really is. It tells you everything.]
[Looks like Elaine really couldn't care less about her shippers.]
[I mean, she's a celeb. Giving out some generic coffee is just plain lazy.]
[Honestly, I have nothing to say. I'm officially a Damian fan now.]
[Tbh, Elaine did give out coffee too, so why is everyone in the chat so salty about her?]
Once the video ended, Salena stepped up to the stage to announce the verdict, "Here are the results of this trial: Elaine passes, Damian does not."
The live chat exploded with disbelief; everyone lost it—nobody could wrap their heads around the result.
[No way! Damian didn't pass, but Elaine did?]
[Damian was so real and still got rejected? You shippers are wild.]
[Salena isn't even one of us shippers, right? She's clearly playing favorites.]
Some of Damian's fans started shouting.
"Rigged! This is totally rigged!"
"Salena is definitely an Elaine fan, pretending to be a shipper just to make her look good."
"We demand the True Love Trial to clear Damian's name!"
The crowd was in an uproar, but Salena stood her ground, completely unfazed.
She said, "I really do ship Damian and Elaine. If you don't buy it, go check the footage yourself."
As soon as she finished, the video started playing again, but Damian's fans were still raising a ruckus.
"Sure, we'll watch. But who knows if this trial's even legit?"
"Seriously, the video said it all. Elaine couldn't care less about shippers, and Damian's awesome. How did he not pass?"
The big screen showed Damian and me in the van again, but this time, we could actually hear what was going on.
"We have obsessive fans stalking." I tried to warn Damian, but he shook off my hand, looking irritated.
"So what if they're obsessive fans? They're still fans, aren't they?" he snapped.
I couldn't help but let out a laugh, so pissed I just laughed instead. "Real fans know boundaries. The ones who tail you recklessly, ignoring safety, are just doing it for their own selfish satisfaction."