CH26

In the United States, parties are a part of life culture.

From elementary school, schools hold dance parties every year, and house parties at home happen frequently without any special occasion.

People who often throw parties might not even have furniture in their living rooms.

"Our living room isn't empty for that reason, though."

To celebrate the confirmed casting for the new drama Beverly Hills Moms, Ian's family also threw a party.

It ended up being just Ayla and her daughter, the showrunner Joshua, Gavin who had nice things to say, and Ben who connected the call with Gavin.

"After all, these are people you'd usually see on the red carpet, so it's still a party."

Even Charlotte, who loves parties, would find it hard to invite such high-profile guests.

Then came the day of the party.

"I can't tell who the host is. Should we just change the party location?"

Ian complained, to which Ben apologized with a guilty expression.

There was too much food for eight people, all ordered by Ben from a party catering company.

"Sorry, my publicist insisted on doing it this way because Director Davis is coming."

"Well, Ben, you do have to listen to your publicist."

Typically American in not tolerating monopolies, the law restricts the management of stars.

That's why there are separate agencies for helping with film contracts and PR firms for publicity.

Publicists handle all sorts of tasks.

From sending greetings and congratulations letters to directors and producers they've worked with, to networking with famous talk show hosts and journalists, it's all basic stuff for them.

They even decide when and in what car to arrive on the red carpet, which media to interview with, and what to say.

"It's not for nothing they can take up to half of an actor's earnings."

The amount they do justifies the cost, especially in Ben's case.

"Managing your dating life and packaging how you deal with child actors too, right?"

"…You're not wrong."

"Treating child actors as equals and being strict is about setting standards. And not sparing advice. Isn't it proof that all the child actors we've worked with have done well?"

Ben looked away.

It wasn't a wrong statement.

It was about pinpointing what was lacking without just getting angry, after all.

It's not said in vain that the hardships child actors endured because of Ben turned out to be a big help later on.

"Speak more nicely from now on."

"Got it. And it wasn't without consideration, okay? I had gotten permission from Dylan beforehand."

"So you think that makes it okay."

Ian saw his parents relieved at the sight of the food laid out.

They had felt pressured about inviting the famous director Davis and preparing the food.

'Being famous doesn't mean you only eat Michelin-star meals.'

Considering that Ben and Ayla, who were of similar fame, were regarded just as neighborhood friends made it even less understandable.

During a brief moment of bickering with Ben, the last person arrived.

"I seem to have arrived quite late."

Gavin, who apologized gracefully, warmly greeted Ian's family and then approached Ian.

"I heard you were cast in the new drama. Congratulations."

"Thanks to you, it went well. Thank you."

During this warm conversation, Ben interjected.

"I heard you've been working as a publicist since we last met. How about signing a contract with me? I'll make sure you're well compensated."

"Considering the trouble you cause, one person might not be enough. But don't you think I'm too old for new challenges?"

"I heard you talking about Ian at the party scene recently, so I thought you were looking for a new job."

It's common for industry insiders to talk highly of good actors, but it was rare for Ben to joke about praising an actor he hadn't worked with.

"So, why did you promote him like that?"

"It was nothing. I just wanted to see some proper acting, that's all."

Ian chuckled at this.

He was curious about how it would turn out on camera, but he just couldn't bring himself to watch a zombie drama.

Thinking that they ended up deciding to just cast him in a different project after much deliberation made him laugh.

Seeing Ian's laughter, Gavin cleared his throat.

"Anyway, some people, even if I talk them up, it doesn't work. You're not even affiliated with an agency."

The more legitimate the role, the less likely you are to get an audition without being part of an agency.

Most big production companies don't post publicly but notify agencies.

It was just that the way Ian had been cast was unusual up until now.

"Anyway, if you're going to do it, do it well. I don't want to hear that my eyes have gotten worse with age."

"I'll make sure you hear that you don't even need reading glasses."

Gavin laughed lightly at the witty reply and then started serving food, engaging in conversation with others.

The conversation that had broadly ranged from the story of adopting Ian to recent life events had now reached the latest news. 

"So, you were cast in a show that Joshua is the showrunner for, called Beverly Hills Moms, right? What role do you play?" 

"To put it simply, a smart psychopath." 

"That's vague. It's such a stereotypical character that it might end up being bland." 

Smart psychopaths were common enough to inadvertently reinforce the incorrect stereotype that all psychopaths are intelligent. 

Chloe defensively responded to Gavin's assessment, "That's why they said they're adding a romance aspect." 

"Hmm, romance, huh? That could allow for a variety of scenes." 

"Yes, there will even be a kiss scene…" 

Clatter! 

The sound of a fork hitting a plate loudly resonated, and all eyes converged in one direction. 

"Oh, um. Please, continue." 

With eyes widened and skin gone even paler, Rachel's expression blatantly conveyed 'I am shocked,' causing the adults aware of the girl's crush to let out an awkward laugh. 

"Thanks to Ben ordering from a good place, the food is delicious. I should get some more. Everyone, please eat a lot."

When Dylan chose to run away, a few followed him. 

Ben, intending to follow, jerked when his clothes were tugged. 

Turning, he saw a small hand clutching his garment. 

"Rachel?" 

He hadn't really had a chance to talk to her before, and although he was pleased she showed interest for the first time, the reason she held on was obvious enough to make him sweat. 

"Can we talk for a moment?" 

"…Should we?" 

Ben scanned the surroundings and locked eyes with Ian. 

He saw Ian silently mouthing words. 

-Don't talk nonsense. 

Ben nodded in understanding. 

He knew well enough not to explain things like how to charm someone into bed to a kid. 

'But how much should I tell a primary schooler?' 

Telling stories drawn from experience felt too mature, and toning it down left him with nothing much to say. 

Realizing the complexities of young love, Ben was led away by Rachel.

*** 

"Hehe, your shiny face is now half-covered. Was your conversation with the little lady enjoyable?"

"…It was very enjoyable."

Sweating under the pressure from Rachel to come up with a way not to steal Ian's first kiss, Ben returned to find Ayla and Ian's hearing awaiting him.

Regardless of other issues, in matters of the opposite sex, he was considered unreliable, so it couldn't be helped.

"The director has a daughter, right? Haven't you had such experiences?"

"Well, my daughter didn't want to go to dance parties with me since the fourth grade. I don't even know when she had her first love."

"Oh dear."

"Puberty hit her a bit early, but she's doing well these days. So, did you give a good answer?"

Ben shrugged.

Honestly, whatever he said to Rachel didn't really matter.

"It's not Rachel that's the problem. It's Ian, who pretends not to know even though he does."

"That does seem to be the case. Being with them, they don't seem to dislike each other, and um…"

Gavin paused, trying to recall.

Their atmosphere was unique and clearly memorable.

"He seemed like a father or a much older brother. Kind of adorably so. Didn't you say they were the same age?"

"They don't seem like kids, that's for sure."

Ben agreed with Gavin's assessment.

Such a strong first impression was rare in one's lifetime.

"What do you think, director?"

"What about?"

Gavin asked back nonchalantly, to which Ben spoke softly.

"You're not just curious about acting, obviously. I've heard some interesting rumors lately."

"Rumors?"

"Yes, rumors that you're preparing for your next project."

Silence fell for a moment.

As Gavin turned away, he casually dismissed it.

"I'm not at the age to retire yet. How is that special news?"

Words that could stir Hollywood dissipated into the night sky.

***

The winter hiatus is an indispensable time for drama producers.

Spending the hiatus poorly can lead to being chased by the broadcast schedule, a dreadfully stressful situation for anyone aware of how harrowing deadlines can be.

Especially during this period, completing the latter half of the episodes was imperative.

"Destroying the gang group is the right move, isn't it?"

"Yes. Season 1 focuses on survival and conflicts with the gang, and for Season 2, we're thinking of including their escape from Las Vegas."

Writer's Room

Comprising anywhere from six to over fifteen writers, the writer's room is where drama episode scripts are crafted, and directing it is one of the showrunner's key responsibilities.

Caitlin, having provided her response, refined the broader outline of upcoming episodes with the writers.

'We can't assume the current upward trend will continue indefinitely.'

Even after a week, what keeps viewers hooked is the strength of the episodes, especially the importance of presenting a suitable crisis at the end of each episode.

Caitlin, deep in conversation with the main writers for each episode, was called over by the writer responsible for the last episode.

"The last scene of this season, it's centered around Noah, right?"

"Yes."

While the ending of each episode is important, the most crucial is undoubtedly the season's final scene.

After all, the viewership of the first episode of the next season, which determines its success, depends on it.

"We need to put Noah in a life-threatening situation to make it clear that Las Vegas is no longer a safe haven."

This gives a justification for the children wanting to leave Las Vegas in the next season.

One of the writers joked in response to Caitlin's answer.

"I thought you were going to kill off Noah for a moment there."

"Do you think I'm crazy enough to kill Noah?"

While progressing through the episodes might lead to some characters dying, Noah was off-limits.

Not just because of his popularity but because killing him would significantly impact the ratings.

"You got the actor playing Noah connected to a new drama, right? I thought that was compensation for him not being able to fully participate in Season 2."

"Ha, even if it wasn't for me, the showrunner would have gone after Ian. Despite his friendly face, he's quite stubborn."

Caitlin smiled lightly.

If it weren't for his insistence that day when she was almost ousted due to nepotism, she wouldn't be where she is now.

"And who was it that said they hoped Ian would do better, yet complains to me?"

The writers laughed at Caitlin's scolding.

"It's like, we hope he does well, but not so well that he leaves our drama."

"It's not our fault. It's sweet but twisted Ian's fault. I was so surprised when he knew my name and greeted me the first time I went to the set."

"Right. He memorizes not just our names but all the staff's names as well."

Writers don't just hole up and write; they also visit the set to ensure that the shooting aligns with the script and sometimes make on-the-spot changes to the dialogue if requested.

Thanks to this, the writers who actually met Ian, like the rest of the staff, felt a great affinity for him.

As everyone shared their experiences or what they heard, taking a moment of respite, Caitlin's phone rang.

It was the producer.

-We have a big problem.

"…What happened?"

Caitlin's expression hardened at the chilling words, causing all the writers to fall silent.

-There's been an article about a near-accident on our set!

It was bound to happen.

There are no eternal secrets; what was meant to happen has happened now.

Caitlin stood up and gave orders.

"Let's move according to plan. We have the footage from the shoot ready, right?"

The accident not only endangered a stuntman but nearly cost a child actor their life. 

There was only one way to minimize the backlash.

Cover one issue with another.

"Let's turn our actor into a hero."

The name of the plan: Hero Making.

TL/n -

You can read

[

Chaebol up to Chapter 58+

An Investor Who Sees Future up to Chapter 56+ 

Hollywood Actor up to Chapter 55+

Perfect Hero up to Chapter 59+

Devil's Idol up to Chapter 20+

Soar to Stardom up to Chapter40 +

Wizard with a System up to Chapter 70+

]

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