CH74

It seemed that Nick already knew about the April Fool's prank. 

Ian patted Daniel lightly.

"Want to join us?"

Quick-witted Daniel realized what he meant and made a face of disgust.

"I'm already nervous as it is. You haven't been hit by her, have you? It really hurts."

"Really?"

"She may look slender, but she turns into a gorilla when angry. You better brace yourself."

Getting hit was inevitable.

Actually, if recalling Dorothy's spiteful comment about Rai was the end of it, that would be a relief.

"Anyway, I'll let you know if there's anything important. It's not just my business."

"…Damn it. Why did I have to act like I knew anything then."

Not knowing might just be the blessing of a lifetime, right? Daniel would definitely disagree.

After the visiting kids left, Ian and Rachel headed to the practice room Ben had arranged.

This place was their most frequented spot after home and school, and it was more secure than meeting awkwardly outside.

Upon entering, they saw two others who had already arrived.

"It's been a while for both of you."

"Nick! You've gained some weight, huh? Keep it up."

"Hey, even as a joke, that's terrible. It's because I've been meeting a lot of people lately, but I'll lose it soon."

Who knows.

No matter how hard he tries, might he end up with a bowling pin figure in the future?

Ian, pleased as much by Nick's presence as a white suit, then saw another familiar face.

"Elliott, it's really been a long time."

"It's been about three years since we last met, after the contract. Both of you have really grown a lot."

Big Sound Records CEO Elliott, who greeted them with a warm smile, then turned to Rachel.

While Ian often appeared on screen, Rachel, known as a regular student, was seldom seen outside of the occasional paparazzi photo.

Attention inevitably focused more on her.

"Should I call you a lady now? Any difficulties in composing?"

"None. It's fun."

"Hahaha, that's a good answer."

Laughing, Elliott compared the past and present Rachel.

'Last time we met, she was just a timid girl. It's not just her body that has grown.'

Her response was short, and though she was still shy, the hesitancy and avoidance of others had disappeared.

Although the reasons for the change were unknown, it was a welcome development.

"I have a lot I'd like to share, but let's save that for when we can meet comfortably and move on to the main topic quickly."

"Okay. So, what happened?"

Nick responded, handing over a piece of paper.

"I've checked, and it doesn't seem like the information has been leaked. Anyone can tell it's an April Fool's joke."

"Just from the name of the journalist, you can tell it's a joke."

The journalist's name, 'Lirpa Loof,' when reversed, becomes 'April Fool.'

Looking at the comments, initially some people were fooled, but others quickly caught on…

-I know Ian well, and he has no interest outside of acting. The lie that Rai is Ian needs to make sense.

Dorothy's confident comment was visible among the comments.

He really has no interest outside acting. It would have been nice if that was all she wrote.

After briefly reading it, Ian passed the paper to Rachel, and Elliott began to speak.

"Rai is Ian. This isn't the first time such a claim has been made because their voices are similar."

"He was just one of many guessed at randomly."

In terms of ranking, wouldn't it be around 30th?

Elliott nodded.

"There are differences in feeling, and it's hard to believe that a child produced the emotion in the voice. I wasn't entirely convinced myself when I went to investigate."

Logically speaking.

It's a common phrase, but breaking it was not easy.

Nick quickly responded.

"After the voice change, he was even dropped from the list of candidates. Rai released his second album with the same voice, but yours has changed."

"Why has this April Fool's joke come up now?"

"Maybe because the fan bases of Moonlight and Rai are similar. You also received a lot of attention just before April Fool's Day with a nine-tailed fox disguise."

"That means there was no leak of information, right?"

"Nick and I are directly handling Rai's affairs, so that won't happen. There's also no evidence to prove it."

Honestly, Rai isn't of a caliber that CEO Elliott would personally manage.

Handling it directly instead of leaving it to a discreet employee was due to fan devotion.

While Ian felt relieved that Rai's identity remained concealed, Rachel, who had been deep in thought, suddenly made an unexpected remark.

"If they can play such a joke, we can't keep it a secret forever."

"Rai?"

"I'm not saying we do it right away. But it's time to start thinking about it, isn't it?"

Seeing her softly smiling, Ian realized that her words were not impulsive. It was evident that she had been contemplating this for quite some time.

"Will you be okay?"

"Yes, we can't keep hiding forever. Besides, I can't always ask others to adjust just for my selfishness."

Rai had given her her first friend in Ian and had awakened her unknown talent for composing. Revealing her identity was a big decision, as the name Rai was very precious to her.

'If my identity is revealed, Ian will surely stop performing as Rai.'

It would be a lie to say she wouldn't miss it. However, no matter how comfortable it was, she couldn't keep throwing tantrums forever.

Moved by Rachel's determination to break out of her shell, Ian smiled broadly.

"I'll follow your wish. Um… maybe we should plan for about two years?"

"We can't rush into a surprise party. Two years sounds like enough time. We can enjoy it fully without any regrets until then."

Rachel, slightly delighted by the mention of two years, blushed as Elliott grinned at her.

"Then we need to call one more person."

"Austin?"

"Yes, this isn't just about Rai."

Austin, who handled his acting engagements, needed to be informed too, so Ian immediately made a call.

-What's the matter?

"Do you have time? I have something to discuss."

-If it's about Ian, I'll make time.

Austin received the address and soon arrived, and he was startled to see Elliott inside.

As his eyes widened in realization, Rachel and Ian smiled broadly at him.

"I'm 'RA'."

"And I'm 'I'."

"…Together, Rai?"

"Correct! As a prize, we'll give you a new task!"

…Is this really a prize?

Austin sighed deeply.

"Can I refuse the award?"

"Unfortunately, the product has already been shipped. Just sit down quietly and accept it."

With that, the circle of those who knew Rai's true identity grew by one more. 

***

The staff member handed over a sheet with names written on it.

"Why am I only getting this now?"

Ian grumbled.

It was his routine to memorize the names of the staff before shooting. It was neither sensitive personal information nor difficult to send.

The delay was frustrating.

'There are quite a few Korean names.'

It was his first time seeing several Korean names on a staff list, though it was a Hollywood production.

As Ian was memorizing the names, he paused.

'Line Producer Patrick Kelly? That name sounds familiar.'

A line producer is responsible for the physical aspects of a production, such as schedule, props, budget, accommodations, and meals—an important role on set.

Pondering why the name was familiar, Ian suddenly remembered.

'Austin's notebook.'

He quickly pulled out the notebook where the contents of Austin's notes were transcribed and started scanning through it.

Ian stopped flipping the pages when he came across a concerning entry.

-Senior Producer, Patrick Kelly. Has caused several issues on set due to racial discrimination.

A senior producer oversees other producers and is usually just below the executive level. It made sense that he might have been promoted to a line producer as his career progressed.

As he was filling the notebook, he hadn't paid much attention, but now a memory resurfaced.

"Could he be the guy who kicked me out of the set before?"

Ian had been cast aside from sets often due to facial scars.

He didn't hold onto every such incident. He wasn't in the acting business without the readiness for such setbacks.

However, some memories were vividly etched in his mind.

-What is this? You're not a monkey but a monster. Can't you see the other actors are uncomfortable? Get out.

Such cruel words were hard to forget.

He would know if it was the same person on the shooting day.

"It'd be foolish to tarnish his own career, and since the film turned out well, there probably won't be major issues."

With the shooting imminent, changing a key line producer or confronting him was not feasible.

He decided to wait and see.

As Ian resumed memorizing the staff names, a message arrived.

-In Korea, there's a ritual called 'Gosa' performed before shooting. It's scheduled for the first day of filming, and we hope you can attend.

"Gosa?"

He had never heard of it before.

Ian cocked his head curiously.

***

Most of the staff and actors of Grand Line were from Hollywood, so the current scene at a Korean shooting site was a novelty to them.

"What are they doing?"

"I'm not too sure myself, but it's some kind of prayer to prevent any mishaps during filming."

"I see."

The staff members leaned over the table curiously. It was laden with large rice cakes surrounded by fruits like apples, bananas, oranges, and grapes, as well as rice and dried fish. The way the fruits were cut was fascinating to them.

"Ian, is this your first time seeing this too? You speak Korean, right?"

"I know Korean, but I've never been to Korea. However, I do know they do this sort of thing during holidays."

"Like putting a turkey on the table for Thanksgiving?"

"Probably?"

As Ian chatted with the lead actor, Nam-soo approached them.

"Isn't it interesting?"

"Yeah. Does this actually help?"

"There have been sets that skipped it and ended up having accidents. It's not hard to do, and it doesn't hurt to try."

It seemed to Ian like a sort of ceremonial start signal for the shooting.

Candles were lit on either side, and the director placed a tablet in front of them. Ian was curious until he saw the screen light up.

"A pig's head?"

It was a pink pig's head.

The staff, seeing this for the first time, took out their phones to snap pictures.

"Usually, they place a real boiled pig's head on top."

"Really?"

"Yeah. They thought using a real one might be too frightening, so they switched it out."

Placing a decapitated pig's head on the table could certainly be a cultural shock.

"Let's begin the gosa ceremony."

A Korean co-producer stepped forward and began reading from a paper.

"On April 7th, in the year of the Black Snake, director Ko Jun-hyuk and all present participants of Grand Line…"

Ian started to chuckle softly as the serious ritual began.

"May the spirits of NGs, lousy weather, and laziness stay far from us during production. May the spirits of 'okay takes' and 'safe hits' flock to us…"

The content was unexpectedly humorous.

"What did he say?" 

The gathered actors murmured and whispered, seeking clarification.

While the producer finished reading the ritual text and instructed everyone on how to bow, the Korean director and cinematographer bowed first, followed by Nam-soo. The other actors, somewhat bewildered, followed suit.

Ian also bowed along with his fellow actors when suddenly…

"…Huh?"

A flash of light caught his eye, reminiscent of the illusions he had experienced several times before. Ian looked around hastily.

'I didn't see anything?'

Everything around him was just the same setting for the pre-shooting ritual. Unlike previous times, no illusions appeared.

"What's wrong?"

"It's nothing."

Ian reassured his concerned colleague, finished bowing, and stood up.

'What was that? Did I see wrong? No, there definitely was a flash of light.'

It wasn't like the photopsias that occur with retinal issues.

Ian felt confused about what had just happened.

"You seem distracted. Are you feeling unwell or uncomfortable?"

"No, I'm fine. Just had something on my mind."

"That's good to hear."

As Ian and Nam-soo chatted, the ritual neared its end.

Director Jun-hyuk lit the lighter and set the ritual paper on fire.

Crackle!

"Why is he doing that?"

Flicking the burning paper seemed odd to the onlookers.

"It's to prevent the burning paper from falling to the ground. It's considered bad luck if it does."

Curiosity piqued, Ian moved closer to observe.

As the smell of burning paper reached him, he should have felt a sense of finality.

Whoosh—

"Wow!"

Unlike before, the flames soared upward, consuming the paper quickly without dropping to the ground.

"Seeing the flames shoot up like that, the movie must be headed for success!"

Even if it was just a superstition, it was a comforting thought.

The chatter escalated as people dispersed, ready for the first day of shooting.

As Ian walked towards makeup, a sneering voice reached his ears.

"Coming all the way to another country to do such nonsense."

Right. The certainty hit him as he saw the face of the speaker.

"Line Producer Patrick Kelly?"

"Ah, Ian Price. Nice to meet you."

Although younger than he remembered, it was clear this was the same person who had chased him from a set and the racist noted in Austin's notebook. Realizing this, Ian extended his hand.

"Let's work well together."

"Sure, let's do our best."

It really would be best if he did well. One of Ian's top dislikes was racists.

'Back then, I just had to endure it, but now the positions are different.'

Ian smiled broadly.

***

It was definitely the same person.

"Any discomfort?"

"Are the meals and snacks to your liking?"

"Let me know if your trailer is uncomfortable."

These were the words of Patrick.

'…Why is he being nice?'

Ian was confused.