“Help me.”
“No,” Zeno deadpanned, going back to studying his script. He was halfway finished with it, and he expected to memorize all of it before they started filming. It had been confirmed that he was going to play Hajin, and they were given two weeks to prepare for the role.
They were going to film for a month in total before releasing the first episode, as it was a live production. After that, they would continue to film for another month and a half for the rest of the episodes.
“But you still have some time before ‘The Forsaken Prince,’ right?” Doha exclaimed, sitting on the floor like a neglected victorian child. “Help me with this one! Just this once.”
“I still have to make some preparations,” Zeno said, his eyes not leaving the script. He wanted to increase his acting skills to the next level before they started.
He remembered seeing Risa Park’s skill grade, and it was an A++. However, it was getting more difficult to increase his skills as time went on. He did improve it at an abnormally fast speed for the past few months, so that was to be expected.
It seemed he wasn’t lacking in theory or practice but rather experience.
“Please,” Doha said, already on his knees, pleading like a servant.
Zeno sighed and finally placed his script down. “I can’t dance, Doha. How do you expect me to help you out in your work?”
“You weren’t listening!” Doha exclaimed. “This isn’t about my work.”
“You just said it was for your work.”
Doha pursed his lips. “Well, that’s partially true. You see, the owner of the building where I teach is a fan of plays. He’s an old man who bought the building when he was young in hopes of creating an auditorium. However, he never got around to fulfilling that dream.”
Zeno crossed his arms in front of his chest. “And you’re telling me this because?”
“Because it’s important!” Doha exclaimed. “He’s holding a competition for all the tenants in his building, and he’s going to make the rent free for the next month for whoever wins! Our team in the gym really wants to win because one of our instructors’ children had an operation, and we all pitched in.”
“However, our rent for the next month is short.”
“Aside from that, the other tenants are underestimating us—especially those from the barbershop. Who cares if they’re all handsome? You’re more handsome than them!”
Zeno internalized Doha’s plea.
“So, it has nothing to do with dancing?” Zeno asked.
Doha shook his head. “It’s going to be a short play, maybe around 15 minutes? The due date is next week. We have the script ready. We also have the other actors, but we can’t decide on the main character. It seems that none of us suit it well.”
“We can’t pay for outside actors, so I was wondering if you would do me a huge favor and—”
“Alright,” Zeno answered before Doha could even finish his statement.
Doha nearly choked on air. “Just like that?”
“Yeah,” Zeno said. “You should have told me it was for a play to begin with.”
Since he had some time before they started the production of ‘The Forsaken Prince,’ Zeno could accept this role and improve his acting skills. Acting in front of the camera was one thing, but acting live meant he needed to be more careful.
It would also help him with the experience.
Doha pursed his lips. “I did, though.”
“Anyway,” Zeno continued, ignoring him. “What kind of play is it?”
Doha beamed. “It’s about an alien who finds himself stuck on earth, unable to leave because he has gotten so famous!”
***
Zeno made a mistake.
He was sitting inside the small gym that Doha worked at. It was his first time there, and he wanted it to be the last.
It was the end of the day, so it smelled like a bunch of warriors had fought inside, leaving the scent of musk, sweat, and other confusing bodily odors.
Six buff men stood in front of him, excluding Doha, who was buying snacks for everybody.
“I’ll be back in a minute,” Doha said before he left for the convenience store.
Now, Zeno was stuck with a bunch of buff men who looked like they wanted to beat the crap out of him.
Zeno pursed his lips. He knew he had gotten strong in the last couple of months, but he knew for sure he was no match to these guys.
“You’re more handsome than what we saw on the television,” one of them said.
“Doha wasn’t lying then. You have been friends for a while?”
Zeno nodded in response.
They circled around him now, making Zeno purse his lips.
“I can’t believe someone like you had befriended Doha, though.”
“Isn’t he a bit crazy?”
“He is,” Zeno answered.
“Ooh! Your voice is nice, too.”
“But he’s kind, so we don’t want to badmouth him.”
“You’re really doing this show for us?”
Zeno hesitated to answer. “Yes,” he finally said.
Smiles of relief appeared on their faces.
“With you on our cast, those barber boys are going to eat their words!”
“Damn right,” another chimed. “Since they know that the ladies’ association in the neighborhood will be the judges of the play, they’re going to use their good looks to the fullest advantage! However, Zeno is infinitely better looking than them. They wouldn’t know what would hit them!”
“We also have Jim over here—he acted before.”
Zeno glanced at the man standing at the very end, still with a buff body but leaning more on the meatier side—like a dad bod. He smiled shyly at Zeno.
“Only a few extra roles when I was younger,” he chimed.
“He will be the supporting character,” one said. “With the two of you, we are definitely going to win and show those barber boys not to underestimate us!”
The others nodded in agreement. “They don’t even need the free rent! Their senior hairdresser owns another branch in a better building! Their space is the best maintained out of everyone’s!”
“Greedy bastards, I tell you.”
Jim turned to Zeno with a smile. “My son had heart surgery a week ago, and the boys helped me. He’s doing better now, but we don’t have the money to pay for rent for the next month.”
They all looked at him with wide, hopeful eyes. “We’re putting our full trust in you, Zeno!”