….
Ross exhaled sharply through his nose, unimpressed.
"Hah… Well, that just makes them worse than some kid's scribbles - Garbage."
Regal's patience thinned ever so slightly.
"They are not scribbles." He repeated, voice clipped. "And they are definitely not garbage either."
For a brief second, he questioned why he was even trying to get along with this old man.
Ross waved a hand dismissively, leaning back in his chair. "Why waste your time with all this nonsense? Just stick to what you are actually good at - directing. Trying to stand on two boats at once will sink you sooner or later."
Regal arched a brow. "See? I wasn't wrong when I said you are a bit more emotional than you let on."
Ross's eyes thinned at the remark. "...And I wasn't wrong when I called you a crazy brat." He shot back, his voice low, gravel-rough with irritation.
But Regal only shrugged. "Don't worry about me."
"I am just doing what I am good at - Multitasking."
Ross gave him a sidelong glance, eyes narrowing as he took in Regal's face.
There was a subtle pause.
The old man's gaze sharpened ever so slightly.
"…You look paler than usual." He muttered, almost as an afterthought. Then, with a faint scoff, he added dryly. "Yeah, I will see you in the hospital soon enough."
Regal's eyes twinkled with mischief. "Oh? Would you actually visit me in person if I ended up in the hospital?"
He finally added, adopting a mockingly sweet tone. "I didn't know we were that close."
He even mustered his best attempt at a cute, doe-eyed expression, like a cheeky grandson trying to charm his way out of trouble.
"Don't do that again. Never. Ever." Ross deadpanned, his voice flat and unamused.
Regal flashed him a thumbs-up. "Got it."
Apparently, acting cute in front of Ross Oakley wasn't going to work.
Regal made a mental note of it.
It was strange, though. That trick always worked on Gwendolyn.
…speaking of which.
He realized he was supposed to meet her soon.
But this time, it wasn't for their usual get-together.
It was for work.
Meantime, a small silence settled between him and Ross.
Then, without warning, Ross's demeanor shifted ever so slightly.
He leveled Regal with a sharp, piercing stare. "If you ever pull this stunt again…"
The weight of his words lingered in the air.
"…you are finished."
Without flinching, Regal met his gaze head-on. "Do you mean it?"
Ross's eyes didn't waver. "Yes." He added immediately. "I mean it."
Regal nodded slightly, almost as if satisfied with the answer.
"In that case…" He said with a faint, disarming smile. "Thanks for forgiving me this once."
"Hmph." Ross snorted. He scoffed, still stubborn, still prickly. "Who said anything about forgiving? I am just letting it slide."
But Regal knew better.
Ross could say whatever he wanted.
But in his heart, he had already let it go.
Because, in truth, he had never been truly angry to begin with.
….
After talking for a few more minutes, Ross stood up.
"I am off…" He muttered.
Regal, who had been skimming through a document file on his laptop while keeping up with their conversation, glanced up at the now-standing figure.
"Umm, should I see you off?" he asked casually.
"No need." Ross replied, brushing off the offer.
So, Regal didn't push it. "Okay."
With that, Ross made his way toward the exit.
Even from where he was sitting, Regal could spot Danny waiting in the distance.
As expected, Ross didn't even glance his way.
The moment Ross stepped outside, the entire set seemed to let out a collective sigh of relief.
Crew members exchanged glances, some exhaling quietly, while others subtly resumed their tasks.
Seeing this, Regal let out a sigh as well.
…but not for the same reason.
As he leaned back slightly, Darren, who had been observing the entire exchange from afar, finally made his way over.
Now that Ross was gone, he clearly felt safe enough to approach.
"Dude…. I thought I was going to drop dead from the sudden spike in my blood pressure today." Darren groaned, running a hand through his hair.
Regal arched a brow. "Says the guy who was just watching the drama unfold from a safe distance." His tone was dry with mock disapproval. "Some line producers I have on my team."
Darren smirked faintly. "Well, you were the one who said, 'I will take care of things related to Mr. Ross, so do not interfere.'"
"…fair point." Regal muttered, momentarily unable to argue.
But his attention quickly shifted elsewhere. His gaze fell on someone standing off to the side of the set.
"Hey, Ben…" Regal called out.
Hearing his name, Ben glanced over.
As soon as he saw it was Regal, he immediately walked over, still surprisingly energetic despite the long day.
"What's up? Need something?" Ben asked, his voice as lively as ever.
For a brief second, Regal didn't say anything. Instead, he extended his hand for a handshake. "Thanks for stepping up earlier, man."
Ben blinked, caught off guard for a moment. Then, he quickly realized what Regal was referring to.
"Ah, no worries." He muttered sheepishly. He scratched his head, trying to act modest, but the smugness gave him away. Clearly, he was proud of himself for being praised. "I was just helping out a friend."
"True… some job you did." Darren's voice cut in from the side, dripping with mockery. "Your legs were shaking so hard, and I am pretty sure you were halfway to collapsing if I hadn't stepped in."
Ben's eyes twitched.
His head snapped toward Darren, already ready to fire back—
—but before he could get a word out, Regal swiftly intervened.
"Darren, stop picking fights with Ben all the time." His tone was firm but casual.
Then, without missing a beat, Regal pointed toward the laptop sitting on the nearby table.
"Also, I am done with the new batch of work. Send it over to the editor and have them check for any mistakes."
Darren, still smirking, let it slide.
Without a word of complaint, he grabbed the laptop.
But just before he walked off, he decided to take a quick glance through the document.
He scrolled down.
Then again.
And again.
The list kept going, longer than he had expected.
Meanwhile, Regal's gaze shifted back to Ben.
"Huh, Ben, actually, there's something else I wanted to ask."
His tone was slower this time, more deliberate.
Ben, still partially annoyed by Darren's jab, blinked in confusion.
"Huh? What?"
"Your acting…" Regal paused briefly before adding,
"…it's improved a lot."
For a second, Ben stared at him.
Then, slowly, his eyes lowered.
"It… has improved, huh?" He exhaled sharply and rubbed the back of his neck. His voice dropped slightly, suddenly sounding disheartened. "I am sorry. I will try harder next time. It won't happen again…"
His shoulders slumped.
Regal stared at him, completely deadpan.
Darren, who had finally given up on scrolling through the absurdly long document, turned just in time to catch the exchange.
He shot Ben a flat, dumbfounded look.
"…Idiot." Darren walked over and promptly smacked Ben on the head.
"Ow!" Ben yelped, rubbing the spot. "What the hell was that for?!"
Darren glared at him.
"Because you are a moron. Regal said your acting improved."
Ben blinked.
"Wait… what?"
He looked at Darren, then back at Regal.
"My ears are working just fine! He clearly said my acting improved, so of course I' am sad abou—"
He stopped mid-sentence.
His eyes widened slightly.
Finally, it clicked.
In an instant, his head whipped around toward Regal.
"Wait… wait, hold on, did you just say I improved?!"
His voice shot up slightly, as if he needed verbal confirmation to actually believe it.
Regal didn't say anything.
He simply gave him a small, deliberate nod.
He wasn't just saying it for the sake of it.
And Ben could tell.
There was something certain in Regal's eyes, something undeniable.
But what Ben didn't know… was that Regal had proof in his hands.
The blue system panel floating in front of him, invisible to everyone else, confirmed it.
===
[Name:] Ben Azelart
[Traits:] Cheerful, Resilience
[Acting Grade:] E ᐩ → C
===
From Eᐩ to C.
That wasn't just improvement, it was a massive leap.
For a brief moment, Regal's eyes narrowed slightly in thought.
Because this wasn't the first time he had seen a rank change.
After all, the grade of his first movie, [Following], had also shifted, from E to B.
That meant…
There was a possibility.
If the ranks of the script could change… so do the actors grade.
Meaning, is it also possible for something to go beyond [SS]?
Stephen Hawking Sr. is by far the highest with acting grade [SS].
So, Was there a grade higher than [SS] in skills too?
The mere thought stirred a flicker of excitement within him.
.
….
[To be continued…]
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Author : Sorry for the short and, you know not so 'happening' chapter. I have already written this long ago, and couldn't change it. But seriously, I have been taking your inputs and will not do the same again in coming chapters. Thank You!
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