My Beloved Screen Partner : Destiny

Chapter 4: After 8 Years Pass Part 1

Time flies so fast, more and more I have gone through many things that I never expected before. I have had many life experiences. I learned a lot but still need to learn more. I now know that life is fleeting and, without realizing it might be the last second, I can see the world. I learned to appreciate life more, try whatever I want to do, be happy, and make people around me happy. I also won't waste my time thinking about bad things, I just want to live my life happily and meaningfully.

My cell phone rings and someone is calling me. I pushed aside the documents in front of me and searched for my cell phone, which was squashed by several documents I needed to study and sign. I saw someone who called me on a holiday and this early. I pressed the lift button on my phone and turned on the loudspeaker and placed it next to my document, “Hello?”.

While I was reading the document in my hand, I listened to the voice of the person behind the phone and answered, "Hello".

"Oh, Zion. Sorry to disturb you this early, are you busy?”, asked the person behind the phone who was none other than my own manager.

"It's okay, Bass. What's wrong?" I asked, turning the paper over.

“Sion, this time I want to convey that there is an offer to play the series again. What do you think you want to see?”, asked Bas from behind the phone.

"Hm... I already said that I'm not interested in playing in the series, Bas. Besides, I'm also planning to go to New York soon. Maybe I'll also stay there for a few months,” I replied, explaining my plans for the near future.

"Oh, I see. Even though the story is quite interesting, if you don't want to, that's okay too. Hmm, but I will still send the script to your email address, so if you have time you can read it, and if you are interested, then you can tell me”, said Bas, who did not give up.

"Yes, later when I have time I will read it," I replied to Bas.

"Okay, then I'll turn off the phone," said Bas, before hanging up the call.

It's not the first time I've received an offer to play a series, but every time I read the script, I'm not at all interested in the story and it doesn't make me feel challenged. That's why I turned it down. This time, I'm sure that the story will also be similar to the previous ones. College kids or office workers are too ordinary, which makes me feel uninterested. I want in my life not just something ordinary like that, but something that is challenging and can be the best experience in life that I will be able to remember in my old age.

I didn't care about the script of the series which I saw had entered my email, so I continued my work again. This afternoon, I have an appointment with my girlfriend to accompany her shopping. I'm the type of person who likes shopping too, so accompanying my girlfriend shopping is not boring. I'm actually very happy to be able to go shopping in between my busy time. I don't see my girlfriend very often because I'm swamped, as well as her, who is also quite busy, plus my girlfriend often goes back and forth from London to Australia, so. There's very little time for us to be together. But to be honest, it actually makes me feel comfortable because the time when we meet will be a very special moment.

I feel very sluggish and very tired. The work that I finished in such a hurry for this month because I will be settling in New York at the beginning of next year turned out to be useless because everything I had planned was canceled. I had to cancel my plans to live in New York because of the sudden pandemic. The pandemic, which is still a mystery, forced me to stay in London. Not to mention that my girlfriend who is spending time with her family in Australia also can't return to London. I'm really bored and disappointed because my plans failed.

I opened my email to see if there might be work that I missed so I could fill my spare time with work. When I looked at my e-mail, the e-mail from Bas that had been sent last month but had not been opened was finally opened. In it, there is a script from the series that Bas said. Seeing the title and the illustrations made me a little curious. Besides, I'm also bored. Maybe I'll read it for a while.

I sighed and a smile appeared on my lips, very attractive. The story is very interesting about the mafia and full of action scenes, not only about romance and it's also not about college kids. I became interested. It seems that if I fill my void by playing in this series, then my time will not be wasted. I immediately called Bas to ask about this series, “Hello, Bas”.

Bas's voice answered me from behind the phone, "Hello? Sion, how come you called me last night, what's wrong?”.

I chuckled and replied, "Bas about the series you offered at that time, can I still accept it?".

"Hah?! Is it true that you're asking about the series back then?”, I could hear Bas's shock and imagine the expression on his face.

"Yes, Bass. I have just read the script and I'm intrigued by the story”, I replied as I lay down on the sofa.

"Oh good thing you called me now, the casting will be done in 3 days. If you are interested, I will immediately register you and send you your portfolio”, replied Bas, who sounded very excited.

"Oh okay, sure. Then what is my role? I think the one that suits me the most is Ed, even though his character is different from mine, but I feel very familiar with Ed's character”, I said, expressing my thoughts.

“Exactly, they also offered you to play the character Ed. So you practice being Ed and I'll call again after I take care of everything”, said Bas, who was very excited.

I chuckled and replied, "Okay, then good night."

"Okay, good night", answered Bas, before we finally ended the call.

On the casting day, I came with my long hair that I tied neatly and a black shirt which I think suits Ed's character and then liked my usual style by unbuttoning my shirt. I went to the casting location and looked for Bas, who had already come to take care of some things and the artist that was managed by Bas was not only me but also two other artists who were under the auspices of the agency where Bas worked while I was a former artist. Even though I'm not an artist from the same agency where Bas works, Bas still wants to be my manager because I'm not really that active in the entertainment world, so there's not much to take care of either.

Bas was seen standing with someone who seemed to be a staff member. I thought that I would wait until Bas finished talking to that person, but apparently, Bas saw me first and called out to me, "Sion, come here".

I smiled and walked over to Bas and the staff. The staff gave a respectful greeting and immediately said goodbye, "Hello, I'll excuse myself".

Bas spoke with the staff for a while before the staff turned to leave, leaving us alone. Bas gave me the script paper I needed to study and also the casting number. I accepted it and was about to wear it but I was distracted by the voice of someone familiar, but I felt that I was just imagining it, plus in this crowded place there must be a lot of similar sounds and I finally just forgot about it. Bas, who saw me, stopped my hand to put on the participant number and immediately helped me, "Here, let me help you wear it".

Bas helped me with my participant number while talking about today's casting. I listened carefully and agreed with his words. Bas said softly as he ushered me into the waiting room, “I can't accompany you to the end. After all, inside only actors are allowed in. I have to take care of my other actors due to an important event, sorry, Sion.”

"It's okay, Bas. You don't have to worry about me, I can take care of it myself. It's like this, I'm already grateful," I replied, who really felt very grateful to Bas who, even though I was no longer the artist, still helped me to take care of myself if I had work.

After I found a place to sit, Bas said goodbye to go first. Don't forget Bas again reminded me of today's casting and encouraged me. I don't know the actors who came to the casting today and I've seen some of them on television or in commercials, but I don't know them personally, so I don't have any friends to chat with. After all, they all looked very serious reading the script given.

I looked around and saw the staff getting ready to start the show. The judges who will judge have also come and sat at their respective tables. Soon the MC of the show came in and stood in front and started to open the show and then started with the actors to bring out their best to become the character they wanted to be.

The actors will be called into different rooms and there they will show themselves that they deserve to be the characters that producers and directors are looking for. Several actors were called at once to wait in front of the casting room. I remained until my turn by spending time reading the script given and focusing on becoming the character, Ed. This is the first time for me to play a series. I really have high hopes for this series because the storyline is different from the series in general, but that doesn't mean I'm very excited to play in this series, so if, for example, I don't get this role, then I don't have a problem either. Maybe it's not my way to play in this series.

But that's just what I thought a few seconds ago, because now my mind has changed, now I will and have to play in this series. Not because this series will be very popular or because the salary will be huge, but just because I saw a person I haven't seen for 8 years or, rather, for 8 years, I didn't talk to him because I had seen him on one of the fashion shows a few years ago and I also saw him on television shows and also in the series he played in. Yes, what I'm seeing right now is my junior at university, this handsome young man I used to meet at the college gym and he looks a lot like my idol actor when I was little.