Chapter 595: Untouched Souls
June finally entered his room after his members celebrated his new role in the movie.
There was something strange, though.
Although he was offered the role of Jian, his mission still hasn't been accomplished, according to Fu.
However, he concluded that it must be because he still hadn't signed the contract, nor did they have their first reading.
He sat on his bed and clicked on the latest email he received from Miss Risa—a copy of the raw, unfinished script that she talked about a while ago.
June was excited to read through it since the short character description for Yian was already captivating. What more if he already saw the entire script?
So, without any hesitation, he clicked on the email and waited for it to download. After a few seconds, he opened the file and eagerly read the contents of the script.
In the uppermost part, he finally saw the title, 'Untouched Souls.'
Then, he read the first line, his mind getting transported to the world that Miss Risa meticulously crafted.
It was a world where emotions reigned supreme, and four factions resided—Crimson, Golden, Shadow, and Ivory. They stand as pillars of the country, each embodying a distinct emotion.
Shadows are mysterious. Ivories are akin to inner peace. Goldens strive for perfection. Crimsons have very strong mindsets. Moreover, with these emotions, they are able to wield magic powers based on the intensity of the emotion they have unlocked.
However, despite these differences, they coexist within their own borders, maintaining harmony within the lands.
Enter Seon, the protagonist and the heir to the Ivory clan, one of the few people in the country who was able to wield multiple powers due to his understanding of all emotions. He questions the world—why are they being confined within the bounds of certain emotions when, in fact, they all had the ability to comprehend so much more?
"Jian stands at the side, clapping for his brother," June softly read.
It was the first time he appeared in the script, and fortunately, it seemed like he was introduced fairly early into the story.
It was when they were teenagers, and Yian's birthday was celebrated by the entire clan.
However, even then, their celebration was clouded in mystery—with laughter being as scarce as water during a drought.
It didn't take long before June understood Jian's role.
He was the illegitimate son of the Shadow Master, and he was also Yian's greatest confidant.
Born from a Chinese mother, he was known as a trusted messenger of the Shadow clan.
However, even though his role was essential to the clan, it wasn't really the main focus.
Instead, Yian was the one who grabbed all of the Shadow Master's attention while Jian was just...there.
In fact, Yian was the next Shadow Master in line, and he wanted to follow in his father's footsteps.
Unbeknownst to the world, the Shadow clan harbored dark ambitions. In a bid for power, they orchestrate the assassination of the leaders of the factions. Seon's father, the ruler of the Ivory clan, despite being known for his kindness, takes matters into his own hands and kills the Shadow Master.
In the end, the Shadow clan's plans fail as their leader succumbs to his demise, and Yian is forced to take the throne with a vengeful heart.
Fast forward a few years, the clans appeared to be in harmony once again...or so they thought.
Yian devises a plan to gather all emotions and use them for the sake of evil. For that to happen, he has to kill the current leaders and eat their hearts so he can learn their emotions and wield their powers. To be able to do that, he started using black magic so he could sabotage the other leaders.
He works behind the scenes while Jian follows all his orders—almost like a lackey.
"Well, if this isn't me in my past life," June muttered with an amused smile.
However, the other factions team up to stop Yian at all costs. Seon successfully kills Yian, but he does not eradicate the shadow clan. Instead, he makes people believe that all emotions are necessary for people to feel complete.
At the end of the day, light does not exist without shadows, while shadows cannot exist without light.
If that happened, then only darkness would reign and consume the world.
And Jian?
Jian dies in the middle of the movie to show his loyalty to Yian. It was honestly a shitty death, but June thought that Jian must have loved Yian as a brother to be able to do it for him.
"It's really just like me," June muttered, recalling his death.
All in all, the story was fascinating, and June could see it topping the box office as soon as it was released.
Although he could relate to Jian's character, he also felt that his story could have ended better. But then again, June was just an actor and not the scriptwriter of the movie.
So, he decided to make the best of what he was given.
Fortunately, it wouldn't be too difficult to portray the story of the strong yet overlooked and misguided character.
For that was his character before...and maybe, just maybe, he could see a different end to his story this time.
***
The day of the first reading finally arrived, and the star-
studded cast arrived at the tall building clad in masks and hats, determined to keep the production a secret from the public.
Risa and Hanlim sat side-by-side as they waited for the other actors and the other director to come.
Director Bong clicked his tongue as he glanced at his watch.
"What's taking him so long?" he muttered.
"We're only waiting for the other director, right?" Hanlim asked his wife.
Risa smiled and shook her head. "I also invited another actor to come."
Hanlim frowned in confusion. "Who?" he asked.
"Jian," Risa responded.
Hanlim's eyebrows raised in surprise. "You've already chosen someone for Jian? I thought that would be Director Bong's choice?"
"It's my choice this time," Risa said with a determined voice, not wanting to let this go.
Meanwhile, Lin Zhi excitedly chatted with the other actors, even sucking up to the veterans in the industry.
He even offered his jacket to Hana, but the beautiful lady refused since she didn't like how he smelled.
Just then, the door opened, and the people all turned to the door, expecting to see the main director of the movie.
However, what greeted them was a totally different person—
one that blinded them with his beauty.
June paused for a moment as he stared at their perplexed faces.
"Good morning," he nonchalantly said.