He stepped inside, placing the coffee on the table beside them, louder than necessary, instantly jolting the two.
Felix glanced at him, then back at his makeup artist.
"We're done here, right?" he demanded, his voice suddenly colder.
The woman blinked before nodding and stepping away quickly, leaving the two men alone.
Hiro didn't say a word.
Neither did Felix.
But the silence was loud enough to be heard.
"The mock shooting is starting. Come out."
Felix nodded, exiting his room, following Hiro.
They walked in silence towards the set, already buzzing with rushed activities—crew members adjusting lights, stylists doing last checks, the female lead rehearsing lines to herself.
Hiro didn't say a word, but his jaw was tight.
When they reached the bedroom set, Felix was pulled aside by the director for a quick discussion. Hiro took his place behind the camera, adjusting the frame. His hands were steady, but his chest felt tight—racing rapidly. He'd filmed intimate scenes before. But not with him.
Not with Felix.
He kept his gaze professional, his expression unreadable despite his pounding heart.
The actors took their positions on the bed. The director called out cues, and silence fell.
"Scene 01, take one. Action!"
Hyuu-Jin leaned in slowly, brushing the hair away from the actress's face. His movements were gentle, almost ticklish. He lowered his head, pressing a soft kiss to her lips. His hand slid down her back, under the covers.
Hiro focused the lens.
Every touch felt intimate. Every sigh, every shift in the sheets—too real.
Then—the door creaked open.
Gi-Jah entered.
Dressed in a dark shirt, his face unreadable, he stood by the doorway. His gaze landed on the bed, the couple under the bed sheets, their eyes widened in shock—fear. But Gi-Jah's gaze stayed there—focused. His expression didn't change, but something in his eyes wavered.
Vulnerability.
Hurt.
He didn't speak. Just watched. Long enough for the ache to sink in. Tears formed in his eyes, as if naturally but he didn't let them slip.
"You! Why are you here?! And you don't know how to knock—" Hyuu-Jin shouted.
"Knock?" Gi-Jah interrupted. "At my own house—my own room?"
"It's not your house! We've divorced, for fuck's sake!" The female lead, Yukon shouted.
Silence filled the room, even though countless crew members watched the scene unfold before them. None let out a single sigh as if they also awaited an answer from Silas, the second male lead—Gi-Jah—just like the leads, Felix and Ji-Ha.
Hiro caught the moment on camera. The heartbreak in Silas's stare— the betrayal of his wife—ex-wife despite being an act. The stillness between all three of them spoke louder than any words.
He forgot, for a moment, that it was just acting until he heard the director's voice cut through the thick quietness.
"Cut!" the director finally called.
The crew started moving again, praising the actors, preparing for the next take. But Hiro remained still, eyes still on the screen. Quietly watching Felix smile at the actress—watching Silas quietly step away.
The crew moved energetically, resetting the scene. Felix was laughing with Ji-Ha, playfully teasing her about her line delivery.
Hiro didn't look. He focused on taking his place, placing the equipment where it should be, fingers moving a little too fast.
"You shoot well." The low voice made him pause.
Hiro turned and saw Silas standing beside him, watching the set from a distance. His expression was calm, as always—but his eyes gave him away. There was something mysterious beneath it. Something hollow.
"…Thanks," Hiro replied.
Silas didn't move.
"You okay?" Hiro asked, surprising himself with the question. He hadn't meant to say it out loud.
His eyes seemed to carry the reflection of a broken heart…
He thought, looking at the young actor in front of him, waiting for a reply.
Silas tilted his head.
"Should I not be?"
"No. I mean—sorry. That scene looked… heavy." He waved his hand, as if trying to erase this conversation for his question was a mistake to begin with. "I don't understand why they decided to use this part for the mock shooting…" he mumbled.
Silas's lips curled into the smallest smile.
"It's simply acting. But sometimes, it feels good."
Hiro stared at him for a moment, unsure what to say.
"Oh, but it seems you don't like watching it," Silas added, eyes flickering toward Felix.
Hiro's breath caught.
"…It's part of the job," he said quietly.
Silas hummed.
"Still. If acted right, anyone would be hurt."
That caught Hiro off guard. He looked away quickly, not ready to be seen— to be read like an open book—not by a stranger who noticed too much with too few words.
"You should go get ready. You're in the next scene," he simply said to shut him up.
Silas nodded, not pushing further. He took a step back, then paused.
"If it helps," he said, voice softer now, "you're not the only one pretending something doesn't matter."
And with that, he walked off toward the dressing room, leaving Hiro staring after him, a tight knot forming in his chest.
What was that?
He wondered, baffled by the strange conversation he had just had with an actor he had never met before. Yet, Silas seemed oddly familiar with him as if he had known him for years. But Hiro couldn't shake the feeling of being known, even though he didn't know Silas at all.
✻✻✻
"Today was great! Good job everyone! We will carry a few mock shots tomorrow as well before finalizing all the casts." The director clapped his hands, initiating the wrap-up.
The crew members exchanged smiles, all proud of their hard work. The director could be a little difficult when things didn't go his way but it seemed they managed to please him.
Having a director who is happy with the work done on the first few shootings is rare…
Hiro thought as he took out the memory card from the camera. Then, he put it back inside the bag placed on the table beside the director.
"You worked well today, Mr. Leroy. I'm glad I hired you!" The director grinned, patting Hiro's shoulder.
"Thank you. And you can just call me Hiro," he bowed. "I'll take my leave then."
"Already? Since it's the first day at work, I organized dinner for my new team. It will help everyone to get along and to get to know each other. How about it? Why don't you join us?"
Noticing the director justifying himself this much, Hiro tilted his head. Why would he want him to attend it so badly?
After all, it would be better if he didn't invite the whole crew but simply the actors. They were the ones who needed to bond so that the film could be completed without any drama and they could improve the chemistry between them.
"Of course he's coming!" Felix appeared from behind, causing Hiro to flinch.
He didn't flinch because he was scared but rather because being close with him made him lose his composure—something he wished to keep hidden from everyone else.
"What's wrong?" The director asked but Hiro politely shook his head.
"I deeply apologize but I have a prior engagement today."
"A date?" a female staff member excitedly asked.
"Something like that," Hiro replied, greeting everyone goodbye one last time. Then, he grabbed his coat and exited the set.