Hell's Actor-Chapter 88: In His Wake

"What brand?"

"Serpbliss."

Min-Ha’s mouth was watering.

"That’s a big one."

In Averie’s eyes, she looked like a nerd obsessing over figurines. He would have made fun of her if he weren’t so uninterested.

"The designer is someone great; she wanted you," Hyerin added.

"Because she saw BSPH?"

"Yes..."

He clicked his tongue. "Thought so."

"Anyway, it could be good for you. It’s not like you have anything better to do."

"My dear, my schedule is packed."

"Not that packed."

Averie was not convinced until Hyerin uttered the sweetest of words.

"They will let you keep the clothes used in the photoshoot."

He sharply turned towards her.

"Free stuff?"

She nodded vehemently. "Free stuff."

His interest was piqued, but he couldn’t accept greedily while Olivia was watching. He was practically her role model.

"I will let Min-Ha decide," he muttered through his clenched jaw.

"Me?" She was already giddy. "Are you sure?"

"You are my stylist, aren’t you?"

To Min-Ha, it seemed like a showcase of trust.

To Averie, it was the easiest shirking of responsibility. He did not want to make the hard choice.

He wanted the free stuff, but he did not want to model.

The filming continued.

Two more short scenes were shot at the location.

They showed Neena, who was exhausted from work, returning to the gazebo. Each time, the Rain Man was there. And each time, they would chat the evening away.

"We will have to sort out your living situation once we return from Tokyo."

While returning home from the set, Hyerin broached the subject.

"Can’t we just live together?" Averie said while checking his emails. "Now that Min-Ha won’t be staying with us, we can continue to do the dirty things we used to do."

"Stop joking."

"Yeah, yeah."

"What are you reading?"

"This auspicious email. We have just been paid for the overseas revenue BSPH generated."

Hyerin’s eyes shone. "And?"

"Take us to a nice restaurant, Rin. I have got money to burn."

The filming continued for two more days.

Short scenes with Neena noticing the Rain Man around the company were shot.

They never talked at the office. Only nods and gazes of acknowledgement were shared.

Even though she could have tried to find his name somehow, she did not. It seemed far more fun to continue the game they played at the gazebo.

Throughout the filming and outside of his scenes, Averie spent most of his time with Olivia.

He gave her important but intuitive lessons about acting.

"These are good habits. Learn these now, and the rest of your career will progress smoothly."

He also taught her how to keep safe, on and off the set, as an actress and as a person.

"Why do you use different colored ink?" she asked while studying his script. "It’s colorful."

"Do you like it?"

The girl nodded.

"The red ink is for the most important, pivotal, and impactful details. Blue is for minor changes or instructions. Green is for inconsequential details or ideas that require revisions. These are the suggestions that I need to expand on. Black is for things I must not do, no matter what."

Thankfully, the cameo did not require much effort from Averie. The first scene was the only one that could be considered somewhat long.

He was set to make small appearances in multiple episodes. Most of them had no lines. But the few that were shot at the gazebo had a few lines of dialogue.

Just like he had said to Neena, it was raining every time they met.

This guest appearance was easy money for Averie. They weren’t paying him large amounts. But considering the time and effort involved, it was a hefty payment.

And so, his last day on the set arrived.

That day, he had trouble finding Olivia. Her mother was not present on the set, and Averie found out from the crew that it was nothing out of the ordinary.

Because of her work, she couldn’t always be there. So, she would leave her daughter in the care of some of the actors who looked after her.

While Averie was looking for her, he found Olivia dejectedly walking towards him.

"Did something happen?" he asked, squatting down.

She shook her head, her gaze stuck to the ground.

"If you tell me, I will teach you how to act with just your pupils."

The girl’s eyes turned wet.

"I know I can’t act. I am useless."

Averie frowned. "Why do you say that?"

"Someone who can’t learn and can’t understand is not good enough." She sniffled. "I know I am not talented at all."

The girl was one step away from wailing. And if she did, Averie would seem like the most likely reason for it. He would receive all the blame.

So, Averie—in his infinite wisdom—pulled out a candy bar he was saving for later and shoved it in the little girl’s mouth.

Like a pacifier, it calmed the girl.

"Now, tell me what happened."

She talked about an actor who often gave her an earful over minor things whenever her mother wasn’t around.

He would ask her to fetch him coffee from the crew, and he would criticize her acting even when she did well.

"Today, he was harsher than before. He told me to quit acting."

"Incidentally, is this guy perhaps signed with Loret Entertainment?"

She gasped. "How did you know? Are you a mystic?"

"No, I just know a scumbag when I see one."

’Trying to demoralize her, huh?’

"Did you tell your mother about it?"

"No. She helps me every day, and she has to work hard. I can’t worry her."

Averie did not know how to console her, so he brought in Hyerin to help, who very nicely told the girl that none of it was her fault.

"If Averie says you are going to be a good actress, then you are going to be a good actress. That other actor is not as good as Averie, is he?"

"He isn’t."

"So, you should trust Averie."

Hyerin looked at her friend proudly. ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom

"You did well." She tapped him on the shoulder. "I am proud of you for not making fun of her or beating that actor."

Averie smiled at her.

’Damn, can’t beat the guy now.’

Once Hyerin was far out of sight, he turned to Olivia.

"We need to teach him a lesson."

"What?"

He glanced around before pulling out a plastic bag full of metallic-colored powder from his pocket.

"I was saving this for someone else. But oh well..." He took just a little of it and poured it into an empty plastic cup. "Don’t ask what it is, where I got it from, or why I am carrying it. That is none of your business."

He handed her the cup.

"Fill it with coffee and stir it well. Bring it to that actor, and don’t tell him what’s in it."

The girl looked stressed. "But he didn’t ask for it."

"Oh, he asked for it." He flashed a mischievous smile. "The moment he abused you, he asked for it."

"I don’t want to do this..."

Averie glared at her.

"Do it, or I’ll tell your Mommy about this."

He took out his phone and pretended to dial a number.

"You don’t want to cause trouble for your hardworking Mommy, do you? That’s not what good girls should be doing, right?"

The girl, blackmailed into doing an evil deed for her good, did as Averie instructed.

Watching her cowering figure cautiously filling the cup with coffee, Averie felt like a father walking his daughter down the aisle.

"I am so proud of you. Go; poison that asshole."

He had been looking after her for the past few days, and this was his last lesson for her.

After about half an hour, while Averie was lecturing Olivia about his philosophy on Chaotic Neutral and Chaotic Good, a commotion was heard on the set.

Someone was belching hard.

A supporting actor was seen running towards the toilet, leaving a trail of vomit in his wake.

Both of his hands were on his stomach. And by the way he was running, it was not hard to discern that he was clenching his buttocks.

After three or four sweaty visits to the toilet, he had no choice but to plead with the director to let him go.

"My stomach is hurting," he kept saying. "Just let me go home for today."

It was not the stomach ache that was killing him; it was the humiliation.

"I can’t film today."

But the director was done with his nasty attitude. He gave him an ultimatum.

"Get yourself in front of the camera, or I’ll kill off your character off-screen."

The pale actor ended up doing a few scenes before leaving in a hurry.

"Listen, Olivia. If he tries to lord over you again, smile like me—" He showed her a sinister grin "—and ask him if he liked the coffee while staring into his soul."

Scared, the girl nodded.

"Tell him, Averie Quinn Auclair sends his regards."

The next day, Olivia messaged Averie that his methods had worked.

No one dared to harass her again.

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