CH65

Austin pushed the role of the nine-tailed fox in *Moonlight* towards Ian as a fresh start.

'It's true. I need to shake off the child actor image as soon as possible.'

Shedding the image of a child actor isn't as simple as aging a bit and suddenly everyone seeing you differently. Especially for Ian, who had been firmly imprinted in the public's mind as a child due to his past successful projects and high-profile events like the Herman exposé. Not to mention his nomination for an Emmy Award.

Although regrettable for the production team, leaving *Invisible Children* was the right move. Staying too long in one series tends to cement an actor's image.

In any case, the goal in *Moonlight* was to erase his youthful image as much as possible.

The result?

– Moonlight's Ian Pryce, a ratings boost upon his appearance!

– When did he grow up? Ian presents a completely different performance.

– Ian Pryce truly embodies the nine-tailed fox, fans cheer.

Ian received rave reviews for his mature height and captivating performance, stirring even more fervent reactions from fans.

– I've realized why the original isn't important. Ian is a god.

 └ He offered his knee as a pillow and said let's sleep together, how could you not sleep?

 └ Why is my insomnia cure on TV?

 └ Because you can only see him in your dreams. Go to sleep quickly.

– Wow, Rue appeared in my dreams!

 └ I'll buy that dream. Can you continue it?

 └ He looked at me with contempt, is that okay?

 └ What did you do in that dream… But maybe it's better?

 └ Report it quickly! A dangerous person has appeared!

– An Emmy nominee indeed. Never thought I'd swoon over a shorter man.

 └ We have such a precious person, and this is the screen time he gets? Increase it now!

 └ Ian refused because it could affect the filming.

 └ …Please be greedy.

Of course, not everyone was satisfied.

– Why, why can't I just be happy. Emma getting the knee pillow looks like Evan to me.

"I just did what Ben advised, like I do with Evan."

– You shouldn't have followed such advice! I want to completely forget you. Can you leave my head?

"Oh dear. I wish I could."

Especially considering the future when Rai's identity would be revealed.

Probably, future Dorothy will feel the same.

Despite the unhappy Dorothy, the results were generally pleasing, and Ian gleamed as he checked the drama's ongoing rerun rating.

"I can freely watch myself in it."

RG-13

A rating advising parental guidance for children under 13—a level perfectly suitable for Ian.

As Ian happily watched the drama, Evan rolled around beside him, his eyes widening.

"Ian! Iaaan! Two!"

The child, excited as if liking the notion of being two, stared at the flickering nine tails on the screen and then opened his mouth wide in astonishment.

As the child ran mesmerized towards the TV and reached out his hand.

"…Huh?"

He only touched the hard TV screen.

Alternating his gaze between the TV and the real Ian, the child then scurried over to Ian and fumbled around the area where the tails would be.

Ian smirked slightly as Evan's hands felt around where tails would be if he were the nine-tailed fox from the show.

"Even if you touch me like that, I don't have tails."

"…Tails? Tails."

Tickling the evidently puzzled child, Ian set off a peal of laughter. Next to the playful duo, Ben, legs crossed, spoke gruffly.

"Everyone's focused on your shows. No one even looks at mine. Hard to tell who the father is here."

"I'd probably feel the same if Ben was my dad," Ian quipped.

"Cheeky kid."

Ben ruffled Ian's hair roughly.

"So what did the production team say?"

"They love it, of course. The original author even visited the set recently. Turns out her sister was adopted from the same country as me. We got along really well."

"Really? What did she say?"

"She's thinking about writing a spin-off about Rue. Asked if I'd be interested in participating if it turns into a drama."

Putting off other projects to focus on this one indicated how much she liked the idea.

"Oh? What did you answer?"

"That I'd be older by then, so it should be written with me as an adult. She actually liked the idea."

It was a relief not to end the unique character of the nine-tailed fox so soon.

'First, the novel has to do well.'

That was the extent of his concern: hopeful but prepared for any outcome.

"What about Rachel, haven't seen her much lately?"

"Rachel? She's probably out with friends. She's changed a lot since Evan was born, overcoming her shyness and making friends. Not like the old days when she only hung around you. Feeling left out?"

"There's nothing to feel left out about."

Rather, it was reassuring to see her doing well.

Ben clicked his tongue.

"Boring. Anyway, you remember this Saturday, right?"

"The gathering at the director's house? Yeah, I remember. The Peacock keeps nagging me not to forget."

"That guy's not normal."

"Tell me about it. Why are there so many weirdos around me?"

Ben was given a long look and spun around as he noticed the gaze.

***

Before starting production on *Alien Hunter 2*, a modest gathering.

This reunion was noisy from the start.

"This crazy person?!"

"Why? Isn't it cool?"

Cool? Damian proudly displayed a poster of Rue from *Moonlight*, eliciting sighs.

Yeah, if he had just asked for an autograph on a normal poster, it wouldn't have been such a big deal.

But that's not 'our Peacock' if things go normally.

"Where did my tails go, and why did you stick these feathers here?!"

Where luscious tails should be, there were peacock feathers filling in.

It looked terrible, like some fan not fit for a dignified nine-tailed fox.

Hearing the commotion, Ben and others arrived and burst into laughter.

"Ahaha, everyone, look at this!"

"What's this? Who managed to make such a lifelike edit?"

"How about it? Isn't it great? Our CG director took special care."

Turning his head, Ian saw a man struggling to hold back laughter, giving a thumbs up.

A thumbs up, now?

"Looks like I won't be able to join this film. I've got a busy schedule coming up."

There was a hand that quickly caught Ian's nape as he turned to leave.

"Where are you going?"

"…Director?"

Gavin's eyes, laden with fatigue, shone with a strong will.

"We have to make a movie together. We are partners, after all."

Goodness.

After making one horror film, it seems his very existence has become a horror.

As Gavin held on to Ian, Damian tilted his head, unable to comprehend.

"Why dislike it? The moment I saw this poster, I immediately thought of it."

"…I think I need to visit a psychiatrist with you. Or maybe a vet."

"You don't have to worry so much. I'm perfectly fine."

Damian rolled up the poster, tied it with a ribbon, and handed it to Ian, as Ben asked,

"Can't I get one too?"

"There aren't any. This is a limited edition. Made just for Ian."

'…I don't need such a limited edition.'

It felt even worse being spoken to so kindly.

"Ah, that's a pity. I really wanted it."

"I'd even pay for one. It would sell well online."

"I'll sue you right away."

This won't do.

By the time they head home, Ian might become Peacock 2.0.

Feeling a shiver down his spine, Ian's eyes darted around for the next target.

"Director Gavin, you dislike it so much yet you end up making a sequel?"

"…I really hate it, but I had no choice. The people around me were so annoying."

Gavin, who genuinely hated it, had Landon sidle up to him and put an arm around his shoulders.

"Friend, you say that, but your actions are different. You've been steadily preparing the storyboard and the filming."

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah, you've got a talent for horror. You could become a great director."

"I prepared it hoping you'd leave soon. Please just stop coming to my office."

The friendship between the two directors seemed strong, giving a sense of pride to the one who brought them together.

Alien Hunter has been out for nearly a year and a half.

Thinking from the shooting date, much more time has passed.

The loud house party went on with updates about everyone for quite a while before finally moving on to discussing the work.

"So what's the story this time?"

"It's set about two years after the first one. You all know why the time has passed, right?"

Ian shrugged under the focused gazes.

"Have you ever seen someone grow up so well?"

"As you've heard, Ian has grown up too well. It'll be set two years later, and the conflict between the hunters will be a key focus."

"A conflict?"

"Yes. It's a debate between blocking the warp that allows aliens to come to Earth and enduring now for the sake of the future."

It's similar to the debate between living in a sterile room versus enduring illnesses to build immunity.

'You can't block it forever, and the latter is correct.'

Those in favor of the first argument would say that it's fine to develop in isolation, but without interactions with aliens, the development would be slower.

Having said that, Gavin looked at Ian.

"We plan to officially introduce Alpha, who was a MacGuffin."

"Alpha, you say?"

A MacGuffin refers to a device that aids the development of a story but naturally fades into the background.

The interest was piqued to hear that Alpha, who had only been mentioned as something scary and dangerous throughout the film and never appeared until the end, would be featured.

"Yeah, preventing Alpha's rampage is also an important part of this film. It needs to have a villainous feel."

"That sounds interesting. What's the setting for the movie?"

"This time, it's New York."

Once again, New York, which Hollywood destroys whenever it gets bored, became the target.

'New York, huh. I wonder how Director Isaac and Nathan are doing.'

They occasionally keep in touch, but it's been quite a while since they've actually seen each other.

It seemed like a good idea to take some time to visit them.

Having heard roughly about the movie, the actors were now preparing to head home, and Ben approached and asked,

"What are you going to do with that?"

"This poster?"

He had initially planned to throw it away immediately, but he changed his mind.

He thought of a suitable place for this hideous item.

"I have someone I want to show it to."

***

"Aaaaah! What is this?!"

Dorothy screamed and collapsed to the floor.

Her face looked horrified, as if she had seen something that shouldn't exist in this world.

"I received it as a gift, but I wanted to show it to you. How about it? Now, when you watch dramas, my face won't bother you, will it?"

"…The only thing that was worth watching was the tail, but now it'll just blend with those feathers. You terrible human!"

So she really hated it that much.

To comfort Dorothy, who had tears welling up in her eyes, Ian shared some good news.

"Ah, I met the author of the Moonlight novels on the set. Here's a book signed by her."

"Are you giving this to me?"

"It should go to someone who appreciates it."

She hugged the book dearly, and I shared some exclusive news.

"Plus, it's still a secret, but the author is writing a spin-off about Rue's story. It's an adult version too."

"Really?!"

"Why would I lie about that?"

"Wow, wow, wow!"

Ian added one more thing for her, who was genuinely delighted.

"And the author said she'd like me to appear in the next adaptation."

Dorothy froze like a stone.

Turning her neck with a creak, she asked as if she had heard wrong.

"You're in the next one too?"

"Yeah, me."

"You idiot! I really hate you!"

Dorothy screamed and ran off, and Daniel, who was nearby, shook his head.

"Isn't that too much?"

"It's all part of the training. You know Rai's secret too, right?"

"Ah."

Reluctantly becoming secret friends, Daniel sighed and took a photo of the poster with his phone.

A moment later, Dorothy burst back through the door with a cushion and smacked Daniel.

"Who asked you to send such a picture! Want to get hit?!"

"Ouch! You're already hitting me."

"Take more! I'll turn you into mush!"

Watching the two bicker, Ian clicked his tongue and firmly tied up the poster, sealing it deep within his house.

No matter how you look at it, it's an item that should never have existed in this world.

***

"Isaac, that kid has returned?"

"I've seen it too. He's grown quite a bit since we last saw him."

Isaac, smiling fondly as if thinking of a grandson, chided his friend.

"Felix, you foolish friend. Why didn't you approach him aggressively like Gavin did? Why did you hesitate so much?"

"Don't say that; it's already painful enough, so stop tormenting me."

Felix was the last of the three who had been caught by Isaac watching 'invisible children', just appreciating his acting and observing his career growth.

"Who would have thought he'd do so well? It felt like watching stocks soar."

"Indeed, his growth was unexpected."

Who could have predicted that a young Asian actor would rise to become an Emmy nominee?

Several factors contributed, but to those familiar with the American entertainment industry, it was unimaginable.

"Anyway, are you in touch with that boy?"

"Why? Do you have a role you want to cast him in for the film you're producing?"

Unlike Isaac and Ben, Felix was running a film company, and he nodded at this question.

"He speaks a bit of Korean, right? There's a film being co-produced with Korea, and the director is interested in that boy."

"A Korean director?"

"Yes, a bit of a mad one, especially in terms of talent. The goal is Cannes. Ask him if he's interested in trying it out."

Felix smiled confidently as if the casting was a given, but Isaac shook his head.

"I heard he's about to enter a film by Gavin."

"…Gavin's film?"

"Yes, they're making a sequel."

Felix's confident expression froze like stone.

"Why not run over to Gavin and try to negotiate something? You're not planning to just sit and twiddle your thumbs, are you?"

"I better get going first."

Isaac chuckled softly as he saw off his hastily departing friend.

"The filming schedules won't overlap. He'll move aggressively only when pushed, so there's no helping it."

In friendships, the one who is fooled is the fool.

Soon after, Gavin was greeted by an unexpected visitor.

"Was writing alone the only way to feel satisfied?!"

And so began another round of bizarre rantings from his friend.