Averie sought out Hyerin, who was speaking with a reporter.
In this grand industry, where veteran actors and great directors gathered, he found it funny that two friends from the countryside—who weren't even twenty-five yet—were trying to do something extraordinary.
'A twenty-four-year-old agent of a twenty-three-year-old actor.'
Averie almost laughed. Even in his past life, he hadn't done something this crazy.
"Shall we?" Hyerin asked.
She escorted him back to the car and held the rear door open.
Averie's lips curled into a grin. 'This woman is not far from my levels of lunacy.'
But before the two could drive away, Averie heard a loud yell.
"Holy month of January!"
It was the weirdest exclamation he had ever heard.
Looking around, he found Peter Kang—Leviathan's actor—dashing towards him.
"Is this your car, Deus?" he asked, running his hands all over it.
"Deus?" Hyerin muttered. "As in Asmodeus?"
"My god, are you rich or something?" he continued.
Just like Leviathan, he felt envious of Averie.
"Dude, you should totally give me a ride."
"Put it in reverse, Rin. Let's get out of here," Averie whispered. "That weirdo won't leave us alone."
Hyerin didn't need to be told twice. She did exactly as Averie said, leaving Peter Kang dissatisfied.
"Did you enjoy it?" Hyerin asked, having traveled some distance.
"Table-read? Yeah, it was fun," Averie said nonchalantly. "What about you?"
"Oh, I had so much fun," she exclaimed animatedly. "You have no idea how good you were! You looked like a star today. I didn't once think there was a gap in status between you and the other six. I even thought you were better than all of them. Everyone was so overwhelmed when you taught that idiot a lesson."
"You don't disapprove of my methods?"
"It was a bit scary, but there was a reason why you did that, right?"
'Well, it was mostly for my enjoyment.'
But Hyerin wasn't entirely wrong.
'If my first impressions were that of someone who can be easily messed with, there would be no end to harassment. Plus, a main actor isn't someone who should be treated willy-nilly.'
Main roles were often demanding; they carried the plot and kept the audience interested even when there wasn't much to be excited about. So, the main actors were often treated with respect.
If one of the main actors were to lose their dignity, it could affect the whole cast.
'Public humiliation is the best cure for morons who think too highly of themselves.'
"Oh, by the way, reporters were asking about you," Hyerin said with joy. "One of them is a friend of mine. I told her about our situation, and she asked for an interview with you. What should I say?"
"Refuse her." Averie crossed his legs. "Tell her to contact us once the show airs."
"Okay. By the way, what are you looking at?"
"Acting clips of some of my co-stars." Averie paused the video playing on his phone. "What can you tell me about them, Rin?"
"Well, I know as much as any non-celebrity does." She looked in the rear mirror and tapped on the steering wheel. "In-Su Kim and Su-Jin James have worked in the industry since they were about eighteen. They are in their mid-forties now. They don't do dramas—this one is the only exception."
"Very particular about their projects?"
"Most actors at that age are," she answered. "Do-Yun Park is in his late thirties; Raymond Lee is in his mid-thirties. Peter Kang and John Strom are in their early thirties."
"They look younger than they are," Averie commented.
"They are the kind of actors that don't care about popularity and only focus on acting. They hate it when they are called celebrities."
Hyerin gasped dramatically.
"You know what," she exclaimed, "I just realized that you are the youngest actor in this drama!"
She continued, "Every single actor is older than you. On top of that, you are playing a main role. You are the only main actor in his twenties on the show!"
Averie didn't find it as impressive, but Hyerin was practically dancing in her seat.
"What about Ellie Arnold?"
"Sarah's actor?" Hyerin looked lost in thought. "She is twenty-seven, I think. She has mostly played minor roles and a couple of supporting roles. She is good at acting but never delivered anything impactful. I always thought she lacked vigor."
"She understands her character from the writer's perspective but doesn't explore any further," Averie explained, evaluating a video of Ellie Arnold's acting. "That is why, although she acts well, her characters don't come alive. They only serve the plot. Outside the story and context, they could never hope to exist."
"That's not good for you, is it?"
Averie hummed a tune that came to mind. He used to listen to it often in Hell.
"I gave her some advice. If she wants to be a good actress, she won't ignore it."
It was the harmony created by a thousand torn souls.
***
The next day, Hyerin finally handed in her resignation. She spent the rest of the day celebrating with Averie, and the day after was spent practicing his lines.
It was finally the day of the filming.
After a two-hour drive, Averie arrived at LP Film Studios, where the filming would take place.
It took him ten entire minutes to get to Studio A3, where the set for the drama was meticulously prepared.
One of the staff guided him in while Hyerin followed behind with the canvas bag in hand.
The inside of the studio was large enough that it could easily hold a hundred cars. A couple of sets were arranged around, and props were being placed by the art crew under the watchful eye of the set decorator.
The sound crew was running around, checking for sound quality. The technicians were fixing the overhead lights. The DP was teaching an intern about how what he learned about backlighting was practically incorrect on his set.
The costume crew was pushing racks of suits while yelling, "Coming through!"
Averie saw the director talking with his AD. They seemed to be discussing about camera angles for the seven-shot sequence.
More than two hundred people were on the set. It was a significantly larger number than what Averie was used to in his previous life. But still, it felt like home.
'This is what I craved for half a century,' he thought, breathing in the scented air. 'I am going to act my heart out.'
While filming, some actors preferred to watch their co-stars' performances, while others prepared for their scenes in the comfort of the waiting room.
The waiting room Averie was guided to was exclusively prepared for the main actors. It was a well-lit white room with a sofa, a coffee table, chairs, a dining table, a fridge full of food, and a kitchen counter separating the kitchen from the lounge.
"We have prepared a separate lounge for associates and attendants," the staff said, looking at Hyerin.
"Oh, I'm fine," Hyerin answered.
But the man shook his head. "The seven main actors are to be left alone. They are not even allowed to carry their phones. Director Lee was very specific about this. You can wait wherever you want, but Mr. Auclair must stay here until his scene."
Hyerin was wide-eyed. She had never experienced anything similar before—granted she was more used to deskwork than fieldwork. Still, this was unheard of. She was worried about leaving Averie alone before his first shoot.
But the man in question looked like he was having fun with a new toy.
"Go ahead, Rin," Averie said, handing over his phone. "I'll be more than fine. You should relax while you can. I'm sure they will inform you when my scenes come up."
The glance he gave the staff member wasn't one of request; it was one of coercion.
"Of—of course," the man uttered.
Hurriedly, he guided Hyerin out of there.
Now left on his own, Averie looked around. Other than the actors of Leviathan, Belphegor, and Satan, everyone else was present. They had their eyes stuck to the scripts in front of them.
Lucifer was sitting in the armchair, his posture exuding authority. Beelzebub was lingering around the counter, consuming potato chips. Mammon was perched at the table, eyeing the two habitually.
Averie understood what was going on here.
'Isolation with nothing else to do will naturally immerse us into our roles.That sly director wants us to be in the role all the time.It will bring out the character more vividly.'
It was an effective strategy. Whether it was deliberate or not, the others were already behaving the way their characters would.
'I should participate in this game too then.'
Without saying a word to them, Averie walked up to the end of the three-seater sofa and sat down with his legs crossed. He held the script in one hand and rested the other on the armrest.
The gravity of his eyes disappeared, taken over by a deep desire that threatened to bewitch the observer. His movements became smoother. Even the simple action of flipping the page suddenly seemed graceful.
Lucifer spared him a single glance before returning to his script. Beelzebub did the same. Mammon on the other hand narrowed his eyes. There was a mysterious glint in his eyes.
Before long, the door was opened again, and Belphegor and Satan's actors entered. They also understood what was going on and took their seats.
Belphegor sat by Beelzebub, and Satan sat opposite Asmodeus.
The last one to arrive was, once again, Leviathan.
"What's going on?" he asked as soon as he entered.
Unlike the rest, he looked entirely clueless.