Maybe Zeno should have thought about it harder.
However, he wasn’t one to second-guess himself.
He stood from the couch, surprising Jace and Bobby.
He then turned to his boss and said with furrowed brows, “Give me a lead role.”
Bobby’s eyebrows raised in pleasant surprise. Meanwhile, Jace listened as he continued his game.
“This is the reason why you called me today, right? To convince me to take an acting project.”
Bobby excitedly nodded, practically running toward his desk to gather a single script.
Then, he gestured for Zeno to sit back down on the couch.
Jace also stopped playing his game to glance at the script.
‘The Forsaken Prince’
Jace froze since it was a role that he also planned on auditioning for.
“I’ve read through all the available scripts,” Bobby said. “This is the best one out of them, and it is a lead role. Moreover, despite it being aired on the SK channel, the lead role is not ‘offer-only,’ which means that there will be an audition process.”
“They have sent an invite to our company, and I believe this is a role you can achieve,” Bobby continued.
Zeno grabbed the script and began reading the synopsis. He didn’t know if he could trust Bobby’s words because most of his artists’ works had become a failure.
However, as he continued reading, he was pleasantly surprised.
It was a story about Hajin, a modern man juggling multiple jobs, surviving on coffee and deadlines.
But despite his exhausting life, there was one escape. Literature.
Among all the books he read, none fascinated him more than ‘The Records of the Scarlet Throne,’ a novel of political intrigue and ruthless ambition in the Joseon-inspired kingdom of Hwa Nation.
But fiction became reality when Hajin woke up in that very world. Not as a hero, nor as a villain, but as a ghost of history—Hajin Yi, the illegitimate prince of the Crown Prince. A forgotten child of the court, dismissed by the royal family, and unacknowledged by history. In the novel, his life was insignificant, and his name was erased long before the real struggle for the throne began.
However, Hajin wanted to make something out of himself in this life.
He knew this world. He knew the plots yet to unfold. Most of all, he knew the weaknesses of every player in the game.
With modern knowledge and a heart hardened by reality, he begins his rise—not as a forgotten prince but as a kingmaker.
“This would make a good novel,” Zeno muttered, already reading the first scene’s dialogue.
“It is a novel,” Bobby said.
Zeno lifted his head. The stakes were higher then.
Film adaptations were usually placed under more pressure as novel fans would protest if the actors didn’t live up to their expectations.
However, despite all of this, Zeno was already determined.
He looked up to the ceiling once again. ‘I’ll show you, too, you Ascendant idiots!’ he shouted in his mind.
Then, he placed the script inside his bag. Bobby watched him excitedly, his hands clasped in front of his chest.
“Are you going to take it?” Jace asked.
Zeno nodded. “When are the auditions?” he asked.
Bobby nearly jumped up in surprise. This was amazing! However, he held himself back.
“A week from now,” Bobby said. “It’s going to be in the SK building and will be an off-book audition.”
“Off book?” Zeno asked.
“You need to memorize the lines,” Jace answered.
Bobby nodded. “I can help you if you want?”
Zeno shook his head, rejecting his proposition. “I’ll be ready by then.”
“Alright, you can come here to practice any time you like.”
Zeno nodded. However, it was then that they heard moans and groans coming from upstairs.
Zeno stopped in his tracks.
“Oh, those massage bastards again,” Bobby muttered. “Don’t mind them.”
However, it was impossible to ignore as their ceiling began caving in.
Then, he sighed. So, it truly wasn’t a massage parlor above them.
“I’ll practice at home,” Zeno said, packing his items.
Bobby sheepishly scratched the back of his neck. “Don’t worry,” he muttered. “Once the company pays all of its debt, we can move to a better place!”
“Well, I’m heading out,” Zeno said, placing his mask and cap back on.
The moment he stepped outside, he noticed something unusual.
No, it wasn’t a stalker.
It was the skies. They were darker than usual despite the forecast saying it would be a hundred percent sunny.
Along with that, thunder was seen through the clouds, and it appeared to be late in the afternoon despite it only being the morning.
The people had noticed it, too.
“I didn’t bring an umbrella with me because they said it wasn’t going to rain!”
“Are the gods mad or something? Why is there thunder? Is there a storm coming?”
Zeno smirked. So, it seemed it had already started. He knew that once he started, there was no backing down.
Still, Zeno kept his head up high and began walking away from their company. He had a place in mind, one that would help him achieve his goal.
He arrived at the bookshop. Bea lifted her head and was about to greet the customer; however, she instantly recognized who he was.
“Zeno,” she muttered, instantly feeling her cheeks warm up.
Zeno stopped at the table and bowed. “You changed your hair,” he said.
Bea pursed her lips. She had dyed it back to black in support of Zeno’s new movie, ‘Code Black.’
She tried to keep her cool. She wouldn’t want him to find out that she was one of the admins of his largest fan base!
“Do you have a book for acting techniques?” he asked.
Bea couldn’t hide her smile.
Zeno was already such a great actor, but he was still trying to improve his skills! Her admiration for her increased a thousandfold!
Bea nodded. “I’ve been a bookkeeper here for years, and I know what the best ones are.”
She led Zeno to the very back of the library, where it seemed no one went. Then, she grabbed a couple of dusty books before placing them in his arms.
“These books focus a lot on the techniques of acting,” she started off. Then, she placed another stack in his arms.
“And these ones are the practical applications,” she continued.
Zeno nodded, securing them in his arms. He looked at the books and smirked.
If they didn’t want to give him rest, then he would do something to spite them.
He wouldn’t settle for being an ordinary actor. He would become the best actor in the country.
Mark his words!