“There he is!” a voice whispered in the foliage. “He really is a farmer. What an odd young man,” he added in amazement.
“He blew off J-Slick, didn’t he?” he chuckled. “Good choice! Those ConDom guys are the worst when it comes to handling their artists.”
“They’re still richer than us, though, sir,” another voice whispered. “We don’t even have projects lined up this year.”
“Shh!” the first man exclaimed, placing a finger over the other’s lips. “He’s moving. Let’s go.”
“Don’t you think this is strange, sir?” he nervously asked as they tiptoed toward Zeno.
“He won’t know. We’ll approach him like normal people when the right time comes.”
Zeno began his journey to the town proper. Today was the day he was going to fetch Maxie from the vet. Dr. Do-gi told him to fetch her after lunch. There was still some time, so he decided to go to the bookshop, where he first upgraded his acting skills.
If there was a book that could help him improve, then there must be something that should deteriorate him!
He arrived at the bookshop, the bells chiming as soon as he entered. Bea lifted her head and was about to greet the customer. However, a small gasp escaped her lips when she saw who it was.
“Hey, Bea,” Zeno started off. “Do you mind if I stay here for a while and read?”
Bea’s cheeks reddened, and she looked away while nodding. Zeno was about to explore when Bea called for his attention.
“You’re… Zeno Han, right?”
Zeno stopped in his tracks and turned around. Then, he slowly nodded.
“I can’t believe it,” she muttered. “I’m a big fan.”
Zeno pursed his lips. “Don’t be. I’m just a normal guy,” he said.
She chuckled and shook her head in amusement. Somehow, that made him even more endearing. “You can come here and read anytime.”
“Thank you,” Zeno bowed before going through the shelves. After a few minutes, he finally stumbled upon a book—the perfect one!
“Tired of being such a natural superstar? Me too! Guidelines to become less popular.”
He found it ridiculous how it was what he truly needed. Still, he grabbed the book with a smirk.
However, his smirk faltered a bit when he saw who the author was.
Fu K. Yu
It was the same author who helped him upgrade his acting skills. Then, he shrugged. Well, his last book worked really well when he needed it. So, this might be a great help, too.
Bea watched as Zeno leaned against one of the shelves and started reading. He still had his straw hat on, and the sun hit his face in all the right places.
He looked like a sexy farmer.
Bea’s cheeks heated up even more. Everything seemed to slow down as she observed him, and along with that, the classical music inside the shop made him appear like the protagonist in a movie.
Zeno’s brows furrowed as he read through the pages at an extremely impressive speed. Bea didn’t even know if he could understand what he was reading, but it seemed like he did.
Meanwhile, Zeno wondered what this book was truly about. It had contradicting cues that made him feel he was being pranked.
‘Are you effortlessly charming? Attractive without trying? Do directors keep casting you, and fans won’t leave you alone? Wow. It must be tough. But don’t worry—this book will help you become less popular.’
The first line captured him, and he nodded to all of the questions.
However, after that, the book went into the theories of popularity. Just when he was about to get to the juicy part, the actual tips, the bells on the door chimed, and a familiar man came in.
Joohyuk Jang, appearing breathless, stared at Zeno with wide eyes. “You’re here,” he said.
Bea’s eyes also widened. Was she going to witness a contract negotiation in real life?
“I saw you through the glass.”
Meanwhile, the two men right outside the bookshop, hiding behind the dumpster, cursed when they saw who had entered.
“That was Joohyuk, right? What is he doing here? He usually only sends in his scouts!”
“It’s over,” he continued, pacing back and forth. “We’re going to lose Zeno right in front of our eyes.”
Zeno pursed his lips and placed the book back on the shelf. “I am not interested,” he said right away, making Joohyuk’s brows furrow.
“Can you please tell me the reason why?” Joohyuk asked, sounding desperate already. “This is the first time I’m going through such lengths to recruit an artist.”
Zeno sighed and crossed his arms in front of his chest. “Your company is too successful.”
Joohyuk narrowed his eyes in suspicion. That didn’t seem to be a plausible reason. He was just making excuses.
“Have you already signed with another company? If so, then I will convince our CEO to pay the severance fee. It won’t be too much because you don’t have any projects yet, I presume.”
“I have not,” Zeno answered truthfully.
Joohyuk was even more perplexed. “Perhaps…,” he started off, “are you not planning on signing with a company?”
“I am,” Zen answered. He still had his penalty quest!
Joohyuk was on the verge of tears. “Why not Moonrise, then? Unless… were you asked by Daebak?”
“Daebak,” Zeno muttered. Then, he shook his head. “Never heard from them.”
“Then why?” Joohyuk asked.
Zeno merely shrugged.
“Anyway,” he said, about to grab the book so he could buy it and read it at home. However, his brows furrowed when he realized it wasn’t there anymore. “It’s not here.”
Joohyuk, who still appeared dejected, lifted his head. “Someone bought it while we were talking.”
Zeno pursed his lips in annoyance. He walked toward Bea, who was watching the scene with excitement. “Do you have another one of those books? The one the other human just bought?”
Bea was confused by her chose of words but shook her head in the end.
“This is a second-hand book store. Sometimes, we get duplicates, but it’s rare. I’m sorry. I wouldn’t have sold it if I knew you were going to buy it.”