As an actor, one's voice is an essential tool.
'Especially for me.'
The burns on his face posed a critical problem before they could even incite disgust—they hindered his ability to perform facial expressions.
Thus, the importance of filling that void with his voice and actions went without saying.
"Ah-ah-ah~"
Casually trying out higher octaves, Ian looked around his home.
Signs of the house party, thrown to celebrate the end of his voice change, were evident everywhere, and there was Dylan, tidying up.
"Why do it yourself when you could just leave it to the housekeeper?"
"It's important to take care of good things right through to the end. I'm just doing a rough cleanup."
Dylan casually tied up a trash bag, wiped his hands, and sat down next to Ian on the sofa.
"How does it feel?"
"My throat feels less constricted; it's nice. Being able to act again feels even better."
Ian fiddled with his throat.
Choosing not to act in Rai's voice wasn't just due to bad memories, but also because his changed voice had become a more familiar tool.
'It's like a chef switching to a familiar knife.'
Even the most skilled chef can get cut by an unfamiliar knife.
Acting with an immature voice felt similar. It was frustrating not being able to express emotions in the usual way.
'But it's not exactly the same voice as before.'
The voice that had cautiously matured couldn't be the same as the one he had forcefully strained before. The contours of the voice had shaped themselves without causing any surprise.
Now, with the huskiness gone, his voice lay somewhere between a bass and a tenor, emitting a gentle and soft quality.
This difference was certainly something that could be bridged with effort.
"Do you really love acting that much?"
"Absolutely."
He had endured a thirst that couldn't be quenched by practice alone for two years. Looking back, he was amazed he had managed to hold on.
And he had no intention of holding back any longer.
"I'm going to see Austin now."
"Isn't it a bit early?"
"I've already told him."
Austin had been waiting just as long during these two years.
There had been a few light advertising contracts, but that was hardly satisfying. Austin had even said it was okay to come early once he heard the voice change had settled.
Ian headed straight to WBE with his bodyguard, passing busy people even on a Saturday, and entered Austin's office.
"Welcome!"
"It's been a while, hasn't it?"
"Hahaha, haven't we been talking regularly on the phone?"
Austin greeted Ian with a broad smile and quickly sized him up.
"You seem to have grown quite a bit since I last saw you."
"I'm about 5 feet 5 inches now."
At the mention of roughly 165 cm, Austin nodded thoughtfully.
"You're 13 now, right?"
"In a few months, I'll be 14. I'm in seventh grade now, and I'll be going to high school the year after next."
"You seem like you're going to be quite tall."
Ian hadn't specifically tested for growth plates, but it seemed likely.
He had never been particularly short, and given the better environment and consistent exercise, it was expected.
"As much as I'd like to ask more about how you've been… shall we get right to business?"
"You read my mind?"
"Actually, I feel the same way. Work has been scarce lately, and it's been tough making ends meet."
It was almost amusing to hear such words from a successful agent at WBE.
After a light-hearted joke, he immediately brought up the topic of work.
"There are no casting offers for Ian coming in."
"That makes sense."
There was no reason to cast someone who had announced a hiatus due to voice changes, especially since it had lasted two years.
"Now that we've announced your return, responses will come, but they won't be immediate. So, how about we lower our expectations for now?"
"What about going back to being an extra like before?"
At Ian's playful question, Austin sighed deeply.
"Don't even joke about that. We can't go back to that."
"Hey, I know."
While Ian would have been fine with even being an extra just to act again, it would have been a burden for Austin.
'An agent casting an Emmy nominee as an extra?'
It would be seen as either incompetence or madness, and it would certainly mark his career negatively.
"How about a supporting role with less screen time but more impact?"
"Not a bad idea for a comeback. Do you have any suitable projects?"
"There is one that caught my eye. It's a character in a drama series."
A drama would be good.
The results come out quicker than in films, which could serve as a stepping stone for the next casting opportunity.
Austin agreed.
"The announcement of your return might not generate much interest initially. Two years is a long time for a child actor; a lot can change."
"I've grown quite a bit, and my voice has changed too."
"I see this project as an opportunity to dispel any doubts. It could show a new side of you."
…A new side?
That was an interesting choice of words.
"But you said it's a drama, right? If there's still a role open, it must not be a regular season then."
"It is a regular season."
That was odd. Regular season dramas usually have started broadcasting by this time.
Normally, casting would be completed, so how could there still be an impactful supporting role available?
'There are usually two possibilities in such cases.'
Either an actor suddenly left the production, or…
"They've been having trouble casting the right actor."
Ah, so it was genuinely a difficult role to cast.
"What kind of role is it that's so difficult?"
"Here it is."
Ian first saw the title.
'Moonlight?'
It sounded familiar.
Glancing at the project summary, he quickly remembered.
"Ah, it's the drama Dorothy mentioned."
"You know about it?"
"I know it's based on a novel. Dorothy said she's a fan of it. It's paranormal romance."
Paranormal romance, also known as fantasy romance, combines elements of fantasy, the supernatural, and science fiction with romantic themes.
The story involved a vampire and was part of this genre.
"It's about a girl loved between vampires and werewolves, and it includes other supernatural beings too."
"Why is casting difficult? It's a popular novel, so the drama must have attracted a lot of initial interest."
"That's the issue. The fandom expects the characters to be true to the original."
Flipping the page to check the role, Ian nodded.
"Sounds challenging."
"Right?"
It was a character of a nine-tailed fox, a mythical fox from East Asia. Although appearing as a boy, it was actually hundreds of years old.
"It looks like they couldn't whitewash it because of the fandom."
"The role may not be a major one, but it's a popular character. The author insisted on keeping the original traits."
"A boy, huh. They could just use a youthful-looking East Asian actor. People can hardly tell the difference."
"Finding such an actor is a task in itself."
It's a common issue with strong fandoms involved in a production.
"So they're still auditioning?"
"Actually, I heard it's almost at the final stage. They wouldn't consider new auditions unless there's no connection with the role."
Seeing the casting agency involved, Ian smirked.
"It does have a connection with Ian."
"Acosta."
Acosta Casting.
The place where his ex and the agent who cast him in Invisible Children, Adelia, worked.
***
"Approved! Absolutely approved!"
"This crazy guy?"
Adelia smacked her younger brother on the head.
"Ow! What if you make me stupid?"
"You can't get much stupider. And who works like that?!"
She was annoyed.
She felt like grabbing her father who had instructed her to teach her brother the ropes.
Of course, her brother Peter wasn't entirely without a point.
"It's Ian. He was even an Emmy nominee, and he looks good in the photos. That should satisfy the original fans."
"It's not just because of that. You're the one who first recognized him and you've been bragging about it, right?"
"Did I say something that isn't true?"
Sometimes it's okay to milk the biggest achievement of your life a bit.
Rolling her eyes, she checked the time. He'd be arriving soon enough to see for himself.
Shortly after, Ian knocked and entered.
"It's been a while."
Adelia gave a slight smile to the boy walking in.
"Really long time. Last time you were so much smaller."
"Well, I was in my growing phase."
The boy whose crown she used to see had grown enough to meet her eyes at almost the same height.
The passage of time was evident in the significant change.
"Do you remember me?"
"Of course. Last time it wasn't for production but casting, right?"
"Good memory! I'm really glad to see you."
Worried he might say something crazy again, Adelia quickly took the lead.
"You know this contact was very sudden?"
"I know. But it was too good an opportunity to miss."
"There's only so much I can do because of our acquaintance. You need to show why you should be chosen over other actors who have already shown great performances. I'll be judging with a critical eye."
Ian was clearly the underdog.
He would need to leverage this one chance effectively, as there were other actors who had demonstrated their appeal in numerous auditions.
Despite the somewhat disheartening comments, he nodded agreeably.
"I'm grateful for the opportunity."
"Good."
Adelia turned on the camera.
As she began filming the video to show to the showrunner, Ian asked the first question.
"Is it alright if I perform the lines straight from the original work?"
"If that's what you've prepared with, absolutely."
With confirmation received, Ian took a deep breath, recalling the original work he had read before the audition.
'Honestly, I don't really understand romance.'
It wasn't like "Beauty and the Beast." There's no way he had done a romance with a horrifying face.
He didn't have much experience with love to fill that gap, but the one who had given him that little experience was right in front of him now.
Ian took a step forward.
His steps carried a sense of leisure, like the freedom of the wind.
"Where are you off to in the middle of the night?"
His black eyes swirled with concern and warmth.
Adelia, taken aback by the sudden approach and question, quickly thought on her feet. She didn't remember the exact lines, but she had seen this scene in the script.
She could improvise well enough.
"Are you trying to stop me?"
"Would you listen if I was?"
"No."
"I thought so."
A hint of bitterness played at the corners of the boy's mouth.
As he stepped closer, close enough for her to hear his breathing, he reached out his hand, and Adelia flinched as a warm touch grazed her neckline.
Adjusting her collar, the boy spoke softly.
"It's cold out. Whenever you're tired or weary, come find me. I'll always have a tail or two to spare for you."
Adelia's eyes widened slightly.
The breath felt like a gentle tail brushing across her face, and the loving look in his eyes gave her a delightful shiver.
Caught as if under a spell, she blurted out without thinking,
"…Approved."
Realizing what she had just declared, Adelia shook her head at the grinning boy.
'Is he really a fox?'
She cooled her flushed face, thinking she should discuss this with the showrunner first.
***
"Ian! Let's play"
"It's bedtime, go to sleep."
"It's not bedtime yet?"
Evan, wide-eyed but obediently lying down on Ian's legs, allowed his bright blond hair to be tickled. Like a cat stretching out, he snuggled into Ian's lap.
Feeling the warm body temperature of the child, Ian turned a page in the book.
'Moonlight'
The drama he had auditioned for told the story of a girl who falls in love at her new school and discovers that the boy she likes isn't human.
Dorothy's high-pitched scream when she learned about the audition flashed through his mind.
"Ah, no! You might play my favorite character?!"
"That bad?"
"Crazy. Crazy! Of course, it's bad. I can't get into it if you're playing him. Please, no, it can't happen."
As Dorothy nearly prayed against it, Ian pressed his lips together tightly.
'If she knew that Rachel and I are Rai… there'd be chaos.'
He had thought Dorothy's fan enthusiasm would wane over time, but after "Say Goodbye," she had only grown more obsessed with Rai.
When the second album came out, she was jumping around in his living room with excitement.
'I don't know. It'll work out somehow.'
Deciding it was too late for regrets, Ian picked up his ringing phone.
It was Adelia's call.
-Congratulations. You got the role.
"Really?"
-Yes, they really liked you.
"Thank you."
After arranging to meet later, Ian ended the call and immediately picked up his phone again.
-Ian? What's up?
"I have some good news to share."
-…No way?
Sensing Dorothy's dread, which was on the verge of ending the call, Ian quickly continued.
"I've been confirmed for the casting. You'll be able to see me in the drama."
-Kyaaaaah!
As a terrible scream echoed, Ian promptly ended the call.
"…Ian?"
"Ah, sorry."
He soothed Evan, who had woken up startled.
"Just had to give a vaccination shot."
He mused if such experiences might soften the shock when Dorothy eventually learned the truth about Rai.
Dorothy, of course, wouldn't have agreed with that thought.
And dealing with a tearful Dorothy who later stormed into his house was just another part of the ordeal.