Actor Paulo Avelino found himself in the spotlight after being asked about the real score between him and on-screen partner Kim Chiu.
The question came during the grand media conference of The Alibi: Ang Buong Katotohanan, where members of the press directly asked the two about the status of their relationship. Caught off guard, both Kim and Paulo appeared surprised as the room buzzed with anticipation. Their undeniable chemistry, especially as the KimPau pairing, has long fueled curiosity among fans who continue to root for them beyond the screen.
Kim was the first to respond, carefully sidestepping the question with a smile.
“Sa ibang presscon [na lang] siguro ‘yun,” she said.
Her playful diversion drew laughter, but Paulo also had a witty answer.
“100 yung score ko,” he said, laughing.
As the room reacted, Paulo clarified that his answer was not an admission to anything more.
“I did not admit anything. I just gave a score,” he added.
Though they stopped short of defining their “real score,” Paulo did confirm that he was the mystery guy behind the bouquet of flowers Kim received last Valentine’s Day.
Even without a direct answer, the exchange was enough to send KimPau supporters into a frenzy. After all, the pairing has built a solid following since their first television series together, Linlang, in 2023. What was initially meant to be a one-time project evolved into a string of collaborations, including the Philippine adaptation of the hit South Korean romance comedy series What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim, their 2025 film My Love Will Make You Disappear, and now their Prime Video hit The Alibi, which is set to debut on free TV following its massive success.
During the same event, Paulo credited their supporters for the steady rise of the KimPau tandem.
“I think I really had to attribute it to the people supporting us. Because Linlang was supposed to be a one-time project. Pero sila yung nag-request talaga nang nag-request na [ituloy]. They wanted more, they wanted to see more.”
“Hanggang nire-request at until may gusto pang panuorin kami, parang we would still do projects together. It’s for the fans and the people supporting us. Thank you so much,” he added.
Kim echoed the sentiment, reflecting on how surprising and humbling the continued support has been.
“Ito naman, hindi naman siya magwo-work without the support na nakukuha namin ngayon. Ako kasi, nakaka-tatlong love teams na ako. Parang ‘talaga, ‘meron pa rin pala na nagsu-support sa aming dalawa ni Pau?’ And this time, in this day and age, ang bilis ng takbo ng bawat artista. Ang bilis magsawa ng mga tao. Pero sobra kaming nagugulat and at the same time nagugulat ni Pau na ganito yung effort, time, and love na binibigay nila sa amin. Kaya gusto rin namin ibalik sa kanila by giving them great projects also na iba-iba para iba-iba [rin] yung variation.”
“Very, very lucky in this lifetime na merong sumusuporta sa amin,” she continued.
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Despite four major projects together, both maintained that they do not feel exhausted working side by side. Instead, they take time to rest between commitments while also discussing what more they can offer as a pair.
“Whenever I talk to Kim naman, parang ‘Ano pa bang pwede nating gawin after this?’...It’s more of finding kung ano pa yung pwede naming i-offer na hindi pa nila nakikita sa amin,” Paulo said.
Beyond their on-screen projects, Kim expressed excitement about meeting supporters abroad as they prepare for the KimPau World Tour in the United States and Canada.
“Masaya din and at the same time, it’s something different and mas personal, to say thank you to all of them.”
The Alibi: Ang Buong Katotohanan will make its debut on free TV via Kapamilya Channel, ALLTV2, and A2Z this coming March. The pairing is also set to stage their KimPau World Tour in California on April 24 at Redwood City and April 26 in Anaheim, and in Canada on May 1 in Edmonton and May 3 in Toronto.