CH50

Big Sound Records, the business card labeled CEO Elliot Foster took Ian by surprise, unlike Dorothy who was intrigued by something else.

"You're a huge fan of Rai? Since when have you been listening?"

"Me? I started with their first album, so not too long ago."

"That's pretty recent."

Dorothy, smug as if she had won, was looked upon fondly by him.

"But I might have gotten closer to Rai's true identity, don't you think?"

"Identity?"

"Yes, running a record label, you come across things."

What had he noticed? Ian couldn't help but feel tense.

"Firstly, Rai isn't short on money. You can tell by the expensive composition software used from the first track. And the recording environment is another clue."

"Recording environment?"

"Yes, the quality suggests it was recorded in a top-notch facility. Not to mention the engineer's skills are far from ordinary."

Dorothy's unimpressed expression made it clear that such deductions were not difficult to make. However, Ian was amazed by Elliot's next words.

"The key is that Rai has an experienced person backing them."

"An experienced person?"

"Yes, there's a freshness in Rai's songs, indicative of a newcomer. The mix of genres in one album suggests, 'Look, I can compose this kind of music too.'"

Ian felt a weight on his shoulders.

Rachel's face turned red as she half-buried her face, struck by the accuracy of the observation.

"But the quality is high. It's clear someone with experience is helping."

"Oh, really?"

No one had articulated such plausible reasons before. Dorothy's eyes sparkled, and Elliot smiled broadly.

"The important question is why such a person would help."

"Maybe they're trying out a newcomer's songs?"

"Waste an entire album like that? I've never seen such foolishness in this industry. Posting these tracks on YouTube is already unusual."

Ian and Rachel were at a loss for words. There was someone else to get angry on their behalf.

"What did you say about Rai! You're not a fan, are you?"

"Hahaha, it's just a saying. And it's common for good artists to be out of the ordinary."

Elliot calmed Dorothy's growling and continued.

"Anyway, if they're on the radio, there's no reason to delay their debut. If they're not debuting, we can speculate a few reasons."

"Like what?"

Ian was startled by the continuation.

"First, there could be something preventing Rai's debut, like a disability or a terminal illness. Second, and what I personally find more likely."

Ian was shocked by the following assertion.

"Perhaps Rai is much younger than we think. Then, the helper might be a family member or a close friend of the parents, more interested in nurturing talent than in debuting."

Elliot's close-to-truth deduction made Rachel flinch on his back. Unlike the two shocked by the accurate guess, Dorothy scoffed.

"There's no way Rai is young. How could someone my age compose such music? Plus, the emotional maturity in the voice suggests a sweet man in his early twenties!"

"Hahaha, you have a point. The important thing is that we are both fans of Rai, aren't we?"

Elliot laughed heartily and handed his business card to Nick, who had first mentioned Rai.

"You said you were an agent. If you do end up signing Rai, make sure to contact me."

"Understood!"'

Nick carefully saved the business card.

Even working at WBE, it was rare to receive a business card from someone like that.

The value of the card didn't diminish just because it was given without expectations.

"I was happy to share fan sentiments with a friend for the first time in a while."

"Me too. It's actually the first time I've met a real Rai fan. It was fun."

Watching the two forge a friendship over their shared fandom, Ian pondered.

'Is there a possibility of being discovered?'

Even though they had come close to the truth, it wasn't enough to be caught yet.

But if someone of that stature started looking, they could very well uncover the truth.

As Ian was mulling over what to do about Rai, someone tapped his shoulder.

"Daniel?"

"Ian, I need to talk to you for a moment."

When Daniel glanced at Rachel, Ian realized his mistake.

He had forgotten about Daniel, who had been observing from a step away.

The more Dorothy excitedly praised Rai and the more Elliot speculated, the more visibly uncomfortable Rachel became, which would have looked suspicious to anyone.

"…Ian."

Rachel's expression soured, perhaps realizing the mistake.

Ian comforted the flustered Rachel and moved to a quiet place with Daniel.

"I've been marinated in scripts lately, which has led to some wild imaginations. Do you have any connection to Rai?"

Ian debated what to say but quickly made a decision.

'I should avoid lying at least.'

Look at Gavin. Hadn't he suffered terribly for lying unnecessarily?

Having witnessed a bad example up close, Ian spoke honestly.

"Yeah, I am 'I'."

"'I'? What are you talking about… Wait, hold on. You mean?"

"And Rachel is 'Ra'."

RA-I.

Realizing that this referred to the two of them, Daniel blinked like an idiot.

Even the two chattering away just now hadn't considered that Rai might be a duo.

"So, you're saying Rachel and you together are Rai?"

"Rachel composes the music, and I sing."

"Your voice sounds different now. Is it really you?"

His head accepted the truth, but his heart struggled to believe it.

To help the confused Daniel, Ian cleared his throat and said, "I am the one who sang."

The distinctive soft falsetto of Rai.

Hearing this, Daniel could no longer deny the reality.

The artist his friend was deeply into turned out to be another friend?

And not just one, but two?

"Who else knows about this?"

"Just our family, Ayla and Ben, and the engineer. Congratulations, you've joined our secret club."

"I don't need it, you jerk."

Daniel, frustrated by Ian's playful taunt, sighed deeply.

He was embarrassed but had wanted to become closer to Ian.

However, he didn't want it to be because of such a secret.

"What about Dorothy? What are you going to do about her?"

"Well, now that you know, maybe we should tell her?"

Daniel was horrified by Ian's response.

"Are you crazy? Think about how Dorothy gushes all the time."

Dorothy, who had been spreading theories about Rai being a young man in his twenties, finding out Rai's true identity?

The thought alone was terrifying.

The reality for Dorothy, upon discovering the truth, would be even more so.

Daniel seriously grabbed Ian's shoulder and spoke.

"Listen well. Keep it a secret from Dorothy as much as possible."

"What if it gets revealed someday?"

"By then, her fan enthusiasm might have waned. She could become a fan of someone else. Let's at least try to keep this shocking truth hidden until she's old enough to handle it."

Daniel had been so engrossed in his acting career that he only had a few friends, the ones he watched the premiere with.

He couldn't bear to see such precious friendships fall apart.

Feeling Daniel's earnestness, Ian nodded.

"I'll do my best to keep it hidden."

"Good thinking."

The fear of the secret being revealed was real, but that was a problem for the future.

As Daniel and Ian became secret friends, Elliot, about to leave, apologized.

"I talked too much about someone else when we were supposed to celebrate our main character today."

"It's okay. I like Rai's music too."

"Indeed, his voice is special. It has a star quality that attracts you just by listening."

Elliot then whispered to Ian.

"And I felt a similar star quality in this dubbing track. I look forward to your future activities as a fan."

…He's caught on.

This meeting wasn't a coincidence.

Ian realized this.

***

Unlike the empty past, the living room, now decorated with luxurious furniture, was filled with people.

All of them knew Rai's secret, and Ian asked Ayla.

"Do you know anything about a person named Elliot?"

"I'm not personally acquainted, but I know of him. He's famous. In an industry rife with bad people, he's known to be one of the good ones."

In a music industry filled with con artists who exploit singers through egregious contract conditions, Elliot is known as someone you can trust to sign with.

After a moment of contemplation, Ayla said lightly.

"I wouldn't worry too much. He's not the type to threaten or anything. If he's proposing a label deal, he probably just wants you to consider his label."

"That's fine."

It's natural for a businessman to have that kind of ambition.

Meeting him in person, Ian thought he didn't seem like a bad person, but hearing Ayla's confirmation was reassuring.

Ayla then added something unexpected.

"And if you're planning to continue hiding your identities while working, he's also a good person to make a deal with."

"…What?"

Surprised, Rachel's head was gently patted by Ayla.

"You said you felt it was a pity to only release this album on YouTube. Elliot would be a good partner. He could help you keep your secrets while still being active."

Normally, record labels wouldn't agree to release music without revealing the artist's face.

It would mean a drop in revenue. But Elliot, according to Ayla, could make it work.

"He's famous for signing what others would consider loss-making deals with artists he likes."

"And he hasn't been fired?"

"Why hasn't he been fired? Because those 'loss-making' deals eventually turned out to be very profitable. He has a long-term investment vision."

Ayla knew well that Rai had immense potential.

The daughter of a pop star creating songs sung by a famous child actor was bound to draw huge interest.

'And it's not like the songs are bad either.'

The music was good enough to catch the attention of a big player like Elliot. If she were running a label, she'd have been drooling over them.

"If you guys sign with a label now, they'll want to reveal your identities, all of them. That's where the money is at the moment."

"But Elliot would be willing to wait?"

"Yes."

Knowing that signing with Rai could be a good choice if it were Elliot reassured them. But the real importance lay elsewhere.

"This really depends on what Rai thinks."

Hiding Rai's identity was all for Rachel's sake. If she's not ready to take that step, this entire conversation would be pointless.

"Daughter, what do you want to do?"

Faced with Ayla's question, Rachel hesitated.

Honestly, the idea of signing with a label scared her. The popularity they had on YouTube was already overwhelming, and a formal debut seemed even more so.

The girl glanced at Ian.

'…I can't stay still forever.'

To walk side by side with Ian, who shines so brightly, she knew she had to change.

With determination, she said,

"I want to try signing."

"Really?"

Ayla expected it to some degree but was still surprised to hear it.

Rachel, firm in her decision, nodded.

"I want to introduce Rai to a wider world."

"You've made a great decision!"

Seeing her daughter's growth, Ayla smiled brightly but then slightly worried.

"Then we'll need to find an agent to act on our behalf. It's a bit complicated to use someone I know."

An agent? That shouldn't be hard.

"We have someone we can trust and rely on. Don't worry."

***

"What are you doing?"

"Just a sec! I think I'm about to find out who Rai is. There are a few young men in their 20s who have famous stars around them."

Ian tapped Nick, who was buried in his computer screen, on the shoulder.

"Do you want me to tell you who Rai is?"

"You know who Rai is?! Did you hear it from Ayla?"

It's a possibility. Being as famous as Ayla, she might have access to information not available to the general public.

Nick's eyes sparkled as he saw Rachel peek out from behind Ian.

"I'm Rai's 'Ra'."

"…Huh?"

Ian smiled warmly.

"And I'm 'I'."

For Nick, who still hadn't caught on, Ian cleared his throat and said,

"Together, we are Rai."

"Pfft!"

Hearing the unmistakable voice of Rai, Nick was stunned.

He had been looking everywhere, not realizing the answer was right in front of him.

TL/n -

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I'm an Actor (up to Chapter 75+)

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