CH44

The fully pre-produced drama Beverly Hills Moms was entering its final stages of filming ahead of the summer season. Thanks to Eugene's encounter with the culprit, Anna realized the criminal was male, resolving misunderstandings with Chloe, who had created a fake alibi, and they worked together to find the perpetrator. A person aware of Chloe's affair with the consultant and familiar with Eugene and Anna narrowed the suspects down.

As the investigation tightened, the culprit's identity was revealed.

"Our uncle can't be the culprit."

James, portrayed by Daniel, vehemently shook his head.

Despite his strong denial, Eugene took a step forward.

"It's your uncle. He's Esther's tutor, so he would know the consultant."

It was highly likely he noticed the affair while visiting the house for tutoring.

Eugene coldly spoke to the child in denial of the truth.

"And all the murdered parents were from our class. You said it, didn't you? That you sometimes consult your uncle."

"Because of me?"

The realization that not only was his uncle the culprit, but he had also assisted in the crimes left James with a hollow gaze.

"Please, say it isn't so."

His desperate plea failed to reach the emotionally barren Eugene.

"Yes, you helped him."

With a cold verdict, even the viewers found it hard to sympathize with James, who collapsed in despair as if thrown into the depths of winter, while Eugene looked on indifferently.

"If you feel guilty, report your uncle."

It was ironic for Eugene, who barely showed any typical emotions, to speak of guilt.

The atmosphere grew strange as Eugene left, and the shoot momentarily paused.

"Ian, great job! Daniel, you know the next scene, right? It's where, after the conflict, you decide to ask your uncle."

"Yes! Leave it to me."

Ian brought a unique atmosphere to the psychopath's role, which could easily become dull due to the lack of emotional changes.

Dorothy had seen Ian's acting multiple times but still found it fascinating.

'Shocked even more when he solved SSAT questions during a shoot.'

Who would have thought he'd score high enough to get into a real private middle school? That day, the set was turned upside down.

Recalling the absurd memory, Dorothy approached Ian, who was calmly reading the script.

"Aren't you too relaxed? Aren't you worried about tomorrow's shoot?"

"Why worry? It's not my first or second time shooting."

Dorothy scowled. Unconcerned? Tomorrow's shoot involved a kissing scene, which was unbelievable.

She hesitantly asked.

"You know there's a kissing scene tomorrow, right?"

"Of course, I know. But it's just a peck on the lips. That's barely a kiss."

That may be, but it still hurt her pride to let it go so easily. Shouldn't he at least show a hint of shyness?

Trying to hide her embarrassment, she blurted out.

"It's my first time. And yours too."

"Me? It's not my first time."

"…Not your first time?"

Dorothy's head spun. She was sure the showrunner said it was Ian's first time too. Had the showrunner lied, or had something happened in the meantime?

'Unfair.'

She didn't harbor romantic feelings for Ian, but it felt like she was losing out. Determined not to give her first kiss to Ian, Dorothy pulled out her phone.

She opened Rai's channel, her favorite, to find an album cover with a black silhouette.

Smack, smack, smack

"…What are you doing?"

After virtually kissing her phone screen, Dorothy declared triumphantly.

"Now, my first kiss isn't with you either. It's with Rai!"

"…I see."

"Are you disappointed?!"

Disappointed? More like concerned.

No secret stays hidden forever. Eventually, the truth about Rachel and Ian being Rai would come out, and he worried how Dorothy would react.

'There won't be enough blankets to hide under.'

Should he tell her now? Ian considered it briefly but then decided against it. The deed was done, and all he could hope for was a delayed revelation.

While Ian remained silent, Daniel, returning from his shoot, scoffed.

"What kind of kiss is that? We're not kids. And that Rai, aren't you tired of it?"

"Did you just disrespect Rai? Even Ian likes him!"

Daniel shrugged.

"You make a fuss, so he just agrees. It's the kind of voice only girls would squeal over. If you saw him in person, he's probably got an ugly face… Ouch!"

Grabbing his shin after being kicked, Daniel saw Dorothy's clenched fist thrust forward.

"Rai's definitely handsome."

"How can you know that?"

"He just has to be. Right, Ian?"

"…Sure, he must be."

Unaware of whom she's complimenting, she lit up with happiness at Ian's agreement.

"Actually, Rai's fans have tried guessing his appearance based on his voice. They think he's around twenty, a slender young man. Given his sensitive emotions, he probably has a sister."

No, that's all wrong.

The basis for such speculation was beyond comprehension.

"If he's about twenty, that's like a ten-year age difference. Could I be a possibility?"

"Probably not."

"Why?!"

Because you'd die of embarrassment if you knew the truth?

Struggling to come up with an excuse for the vigorously inquiring Dorothy, Ian felt his phone vibrate.

"Wait! I've got a call. Just a call."

Using the call as an excuse to escape from Dorothy, Ian saw it was Ben and tilted his head. Ben usually wouldn't call at this time, knowing it was a shooting schedule. Curious, Ian answered.

"Ben, what's up?"

-Why does there have to be something up for me to call? Are you shooting right now?

"No, just waiting."

-Oh, good timing then. I called to share some fun news.

"Fun news? What is it?"

Curious about what news was so urgent that it made Ben call so suddenly, Ben replied with a swagger.

-I got cast in Director Davis's next project. How about that?

"Really?"

Casting for a shoot at the end of the year wasn't strange, but Ian hadn't expected Ben.

-What's with that surprised tone? I'm more than qualified. Plus, the director and I are with the same agency.

"Still, congratulations."

-Thanks. I've wanted to work with you since Sucker Punch, so this is great.

Ben often complained about this. He was the first to recognize the potential, yet they never worked together.

"Then, what role did you get?"

-Cayden Lucas, they said.

Cayden?

Ian was aware of some characters from the storyboard he received, but if Ben knew what these characters entailed, he wouldn't be so pleased.

"Do you know what your role involves?"

-Not much. They just said it's a warrior and that the role has good chemistry with you.

"Have you signed the contract?"

-Of course! I signed it and called you right away to brag.

If the contract was signed, there was no escape.

Ian decided to enlighten him.

"Cayden is indeed a character with good chemistry with me. He's a warrior, but his weakness is children."

A challenging warrior's attitude and Ben sensed something was off.

"So, there are a lot of scenes where you get beaten or scolded by me."

-…You're joking, right?

"Ask the director. Since you've signed the contract, he should be honest with you."

-Wait!

Gavin must have been nearby, as Ian could faintly hear bustling in the background.

"Time for the next scene. All child actors, please gather!"

Ian ended the call, and not long after, his phone rang again, but he promptly turned it off.

'You should have checked more carefully before signing.'

Ian smirked and headed into the shoot.

***

"This is wrong! How can a warrior get beaten by a kid?"

Ben, who stormed into Ian's place to complain, was met with a disdainful look.

"Then you should have checked properly before."

"Is it rare to choose roles based on the director's reputation? I did plenty of checking. I just didn't expect the publicist to hide this."

Publicists, who manage an actor's image, also play a role in selecting movies. They have to consider how an actor's image might change after a project to choose the next one appropriately.

Ian shrugged at Ben's complaints.

"You're doing a great job. Should've been nicer to child actors, right? Changing your image requires at least this much."

"…I'm aware."

Having a reputation for disliking child actors meant that shedding this image wouldn't be easy with just any role. It was karma, so to speak.

"Sigh… You're going to go easy on me, right?"

"We'll see how it goes. If we half-heart it and get an NG, it's a hassle for both of us."

"I trust in your acting skills. You know how I feel, right?"

Even before the shooting began, seeing Ben make such feeble protests made Ian burst into laughter. Despite his words, Ian knew Ben wouldn't make a fuss once filming started.

"How are things with Rachel lately?"

"Much better than before. She even shyly played some compositions she made the other day. Ran away right after showing me, though. It's like dealing with a cat."

"So you dislike it?"

"Dislike it? No way! It's super cute. Just don't go spreading nonsense, or you'll get it from me."

Ben pulled out his phone and navigated to Rai's channel.

"But this channel's getting quite the reaction. There's a lot of self-proclaimed fans, and even radio stations have asked if they can use the tracks."

"On the radio?"

Ian was slightly taken aback by the mention of the radio. In the US, radio is an essential promotional medium and gatekeeper for music. The change in recognition after a radio feature can be significant.

"It's not mainstream radio, though. It's not as impactful as you think."

"Still, it's radio. Rachel must've been thrilled."

"Yeah, she was jumping for joy. Said she'd listen on the broadcast day."

Having your compositions played on the radio is a big deal, especially for someone Rachel's age.

Ben nudged Ian, who was smiling fondly at the thought.

"The labels might start approaching soon. Those guys have a nose for money. What will you do?"

"We'll see what Rachel wants. If she wants to sign, we'll sign; if not, we won't."

"Any issues with the agency?"

"Nah, it's fine. We've got a clause for music activities because of YouTube and dubbing. No need to inform the agency."

"…Were you a lawyer in a past life?"

Ben shook his head at Ian's thoroughness. The boy who had seemed so out of place at their first meeting now felt like a friend beyond their age difference.

"Anyway, let's do our best with the film."

"Of course."

They shared a bright smile.

***

The most intriguing day for everyone involved in Beverly Hills Moms had arrived.

"Relax, it's nothing too serious. You know, right?"

"Yes, yes!"

Dorothy nervously nodded at the director's words. No matter how much she reminded herself that her first kiss was with Rai, the nerves were still there on the day of the shoot.

She opened the script.

Today's scene came after all the mysteries were resolved. The murderer was caught, but not before leaving deep scars on many. Chloe, who managed to keep her affair hidden, decided to move away, and Esther and Eugene promised to meet again someday with a brief kiss.

"I can do this."

Dorothy reassured herself and approached Ian, who was on a call, hoping that a casual chat would help her relax.

"Yeah, thanks for talking me up, Lotti."

Lotti?

The nickname was a dead giveaway. She wondered what name it was short for when she was startled by the familiar voice on the other end.

-It's nothing. I just told the truth about you.

"Still…"

Charlotte Underhill. The voice was unmistakable given her frequent media appearances.

-I'm glad it helped, honey.

Dorothy gasped.

"Honey?"

The sweet nickname made her head spin, and she was shocked by the last sound.

-Let's meet in person soon. Mwah!

The distinct sound of a kiss.

Dorothy approached Ian and stated firmly.

"Ian, no matter how pretty, aunts are a no-go!"

"…What?"

The misunderstanding deepened.