“We have one last scene, Zeno. Great job for today,” Daeshim said, patting him on the back.
“We’ve installed safety nets on the next floor, but it’s only a narrow margin, so please be careful.”
“You didn’t want a stunt double, right?”
Zeno nodded. “I only have to stand on the ledge, right?” he asked. “I can do it.”
Daeshim smiled at the young man, thankful for his courage. He believed he had made the right decision. If this was Oska, then he would have asked for a stunt double without a doubt.
“Let’s start,” he said. “We might be able to finish this scene before 10 PM.”
Zeno held out an ‘okay’ sign and stood at his previous spot while the cameras took their positions.
It was a very simple scene. It was where Hajin was going to fall to his demise in his pursuit of wanting to get closer to the moon.
Zeno was really tired now, but again, it was what the scene truly needed. The moonlight illuminated the slight puffiness of his eyes as he let out a deep breath.
“Action!” Daehshim PD exclaimed.
Hajin exhaled through his nose, his eyes filled with admiration as he stared at the moon. He reached out his hand—slowly. It appeared to touch the moon, but it was still very far, even when he reached further and further.
His lips and other features remained neutral except for his eyes, but they spoke of a thousand words. How can he smile without the upward curvature of his lips? His eyes showed longing.
Daeshim PD was engrossed in the scene, his fist over his lips. The others already knew of Zeno’s acting skills, but it seemed they couldn’t get used to it no matter how many times they had watched him.
They were all engulfed by the scene, feeling like they were the audience instead of the integral staff of the big-budget drama.
Finally, Hajin clicked his tongue, feeling impatient. He placed his palms against the narrow edge of the concrete barrier, lifting himself up—wobbly at first but increasingly becoming more stable.
Then, finally, he was standing at the highest part of the building he had dedicated his life to. A smile finally appeared on his lips, making his eyes into crescent moons, a contrast to the full moon that had arisen in the sky.
This time, he didn’t reach out his hand. Instead, he closed them and felt the soft, fragrant breeze. It was a beautiful scene, one that showed Hajin didn’t go through a tragic death. That he saw the beauty of the moon before he passed.
Daeshim PD should have called ‘cut,’ but he was still far too engrossed in the scene. There wasn’t anything explicitly sad about it. However, through the small monitor, he truly felt bad for Hajin.
Zeno continued with his act until the director told him to stop. He didn’t want to do the scene over again because, frankly, he really wanted to shower.
However, at that moment, a strong gust of wind came out of nowhere, throwing Zeno slightly off balance. Fortunately, he caught himself at the right time before he could fall to his demise. He let out a deep breath. That was close. He almost ended up with the same fate as Hajin.
“Cut!” Daeshim PD exclaimed. “Zeno, get down from there!”
Zeno nodded and was about to go down when another gust of wind came. This one didn’t feel normal again. It seemed deliberate. But then again, it might just be climate change.
Good thing Zeno caught it this time, and he wasn’t startled at all. However, one of the lights fell over from the gust of the wind, and just as he was about to go down, it hit Zeno square on the shoulder.
This time, Zeno couldn’t escape it anymore.
Screams of horror were heard across the set as Zeno fell at the impact. Their eyes widened, and for a second, they couldn’t move.
Daeshim’s blood ran cold while Chachi started hyperventilating.
“Oh goodness,” he muttered, afraid to peek through the barrier. All of the sleepiness in their bodies was flushed down the drain, replaced by worry.
“Zeno?” he called out for a moment.
Zeno, as he fell, finally realized what his first mission meant. He remembered it now. Avalis usually sent such a vague mission when they felt that Rennis were straying too far from their mission.
Like a warning.
However, since Zeno had been so efficient for a majority of his missions, he rarely got such a mission, except for one. He shook his head. They hadn’t changed at all, huh?
Fortunately, Zeno landed on the small net, and he quickly called for the others’ attention.
“Right here!”
He heard their frantic footsteps, staring as Zeno held onto the window ledge while on the narrow net. Daeshim PD sighed in relief, feeling he had resurrected from death himself.
“Get him right now!” he exclaimed, and the staff quickly did so, not wanting to lose their main character.
“Goodness, I thought something bad had happened.”
Zeno smirked. “The universe has to work harder for that to happen.”
Chachi shook her head. “Please don’t say that, Zeno. I nearly had a heart attack! You don’t know how lucky you are right now.”
Zeno didn’t respond for a while. “Did we get the take?” he asked.
They turned to him with furrowed brows. He was hanging on for dear life, but he was still thinking about the take. He was an actor at heart!
“We did,” Daeshim muttered. His fall shouldn’t have been included in the scene, as it was too dangerous. However, it happened naturally. If they edited out the tall light, it would look exactly as it was described in the book.
That Hajin couldn’t fight the wind, or at least, had little strength to do so. It looked very natural, and Daeshim wondered…
“You can add it in,” Zeno said, capturing his attention, still on the safety net. “I don’t mind.”
“It will show those who said I am not dedicated to the role.”