Hell's Actor-Chapter 84: The Color Spectrum

It was Friday, 3 PM.

A week had passed since the incident.

News reports indicated that Walter Dean had woken up, yet he had refused to mention his attacker’s identity to the police.

There was little doubt in Averie’s mind that he was deliberately hiding his identity from the police.

The pristine white sedan was recovered from the sea, but there was no evidence left to identify the attacker.

A few clues were found scattered across the city, but they led nowhere and only served to frustrate the police.

They only needed one undeniable piece of evidence to link the crime to Averie, but even that task seemed infinitely difficult.

If his mask were two inches lower in the footage, they could’ve done something. If it were a murder, they would have arrested him already.

Some police officers even cursed Walter Dean for having survived. His death would have made this a much simpler case.

But as it stood, they couldn’t even get a warrant.

An assault wasn’t enough of a justification for raiding a celebrity’s house. The media frenzy and conspiracy that would ensue wasn’t worth it.

So, the case—despite Weisin Conglomerate putting pressure on them—remained unresolved.

"We are here."

Averie had just arrived at the filming set of The Color Spectrum.

It was a show that had been on the air for six consecutive seasons, and from what Averie had heard, it was going to continue for at least another season. It had remained the country’s favorite Monday-Tuesday drama for five seasons.

It was no surprise that the cast and the crew were familiar with each other. Averie could see it from the way they moved seamlessly.

They were respectful when greeting him, and not a single person was disruptive while asking for pictures. There was a sense of calmness about the set.

Even then, he received a lot of stares, and not every one of those was flattering.

A few supporting actors and actresses came to introduce themselves before he left to speak with the director.

He was an old man with bad eyesight in his late 50s. This was the first time they were meeting, but Averie respected him right away.

The calluses on his hands and the wrinkles on his face were clear indicators of a long, tiring life. It was a life dedicated to the art of directing.

To Averie, he looked like a veteran who had sacrificed everything for his nation.

He was admirable.

"I am planning to retire soon," the man said. "So, this might be my last project. Glad to have you for it."

"Your last project..." Averie flashed him a mischievous smile. "And you still chose to direct a walking media disaster?"

The director laughed an old man’s laugh.

"If it doesn’t bother you, then it should not bother me. You did what you were forced to do. I don’t like their actors either. For all their boasting, they are too incompetent."

"I have no idea what you are talking about. I didn’t do anything."

"Of course, you didn’t." The director gave him a knowing smile. "Give me a good performance, Mr. Auclair."

"I will give you a great performance."

The director laughed and pointed him towards the tent prepared just for him.

They were outside as that’s where the bulk of Averie’s scenes would take place. They were going to film there for three or four days without delay.

Dramas like The Color Spectrum did not produce an entire season before airing it. They had to film, edit, and air simultaneously. It caused them to film in a hurry without wasting time.

It meant that no matter what, an actor couldn’t spend a satisfying amount of time on each shot. If something was not up to their standards, they just had to accept it. There wouldn’t be many retakes.

For someone like Averie, that wasn’t such a big deal. His character wasn’t an integral part of the show, and he wasn’t one to waste takes.

While the team from the drama and Min-Ha were busy doing his hair and makeup, a lady entered the tent.

"Hello." She politely bowed. "I’m Chae-Won Choi. Please take care of me today."

’Take care of yourself,’ Averie thought.

"It’s nice to meet you," he said as the ladies styled his hair. "I would get up, but my overlords won’t be happy."

"You’re goddamn right," Min-Ha whispered.

"That’s okay. I just wanted to drop by and say hello before we began." She tucked her hair behind her ear. "I was wondering if you could—"

"Of course."

Averie took out a pen and signed an autograph before she could even blink. At this point, it had become second nature to him.

Even in his previous life, other actors had never asked for his autograph. But now, everyone and their dog wanted one.

"Thank you." Chae-Won looked elated. "I became a big fan after the fourth episode."

She looked older than Averie; most of the prominent actors did. He had just celebrated his twenty-fourth birthday. For an actor with such popularity, that was young.

But Chae-Won looked especially young compared to her age.

When she left, the makeup girls began talking.

"She was really looking forward to today."

"Yeah, I hope you two have fun in front of the camera."

"Please make it a memorable experience for her. She is always so nice. She deserves it."

’Anything else? Should I shine her shoes while I’m at it?’

The Color Spectrum was a drama about a woman and her experiences in life after becoming an adult.

She began her journey into adulthood with a very limited understanding of the world and human emotions. But through a multitude of life experiences, she came to understand herself and those around her.

Contrary to expectations before it began airing, the show was fun. It was light-hearted and romantic, with beautiful scenery and impactful moments.

Chae-Won Choi had done a wonderful job of portraying her character. People had come to love her and relate to her. This was the reason for its success. The show wasn’t built on flimsy drama or action. It had a firm understanding of what it was trying to be.

It was praised for its light colors and restraint in dramatizing events. It was nothing as thrilling as BSPH. Rather, it was completely the opposite.

There were no scenes that made one shudder in excitement or terror. There was no big reveal or cliffhanger. Everything was much simpler and calmer.

The only things BSPH and The Color Spectrum had in common were Averie and artificial rain.

His character was an enigmatic figure in the story. He was part of an ambiguous subplot that only the female lead was involved in.

Once the makeup was done, Averie took a folding chair and sat outside his tent. He wanted to watch the filming and the atmosphere.

Because of his assault on Walter Dean, a few irrelevant actors had been watching him from a distance. One of them was an actor playing a supporting role.

"He is scary," a quiet voice said.

While he was distracted, a little girl had snuck up on him.

"You are the new mister everyone is talking about, right?"

’A child actor?’

Averie looked around.

Her mother was nearby, keeping an eye on her.

’That’s proper parenting.’

He approved, even though he never had a child himself.

"Yes," Averie said. "I am the handsome mister."

"I said new, not handsome."

"That’s why I corrected you. Why? Am I not handsome?"

"You are." The girl stared at his ear piercings. "But Mommy said not to say anything weird to you."

"Your mom did? Why?"

"She is a big fan of yours."

"Is she now?"

"Yes. My mommy doesn’t praise just anyone. Are you really good at acting, mister?"

"Maybe. What do you think?"

"I don’t know. Mommy wouldn’t let me watch your show. She said it’s not for children."

"Your mommy is right." Averie laughed. "Do you like my earrings?"

She was drooling just looking at them.

"Yes, they are pretty."

"You can get a pair when you get older. So, don’t bother your mommy about it, okay?"

"Okay."

"Do you like acting?"

"Yes."

"Your mommy doesn’t force you to like it, does she?"

"No, mommy is nice."

Averie smiled.

Not many parents of child actors were half as sensible. They worked their kids for money, fame, and what they perceived as success.

"Alright, girly. Go ask your mommy if she would like a picture or an autograph. She has been staring for a while."

"Really?" Her eyes sparkled. "You mean it?"

"Yes."

"But don’t tell papa, okay? He will get jealous."

"Okay," — he snickered — "I won’t."

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