'It's boring to just sit here and do nothing.'
Ren thought as he let out a sigh.
He was currently getting his hairstyle ready for his scene. Sitting on the chair, he was feeling slightly bored while the stylist was playing with his hair with a excited expression.
"Are you bored?"
The stylist asked as he used the dryer on his hair.
"Yeah, somewhat. How much time do you think it will take?"
"Probably around two hours."
"Two hours!! That's a lot of time."
"Well, we have to show you as a middle aged man for the scene. We have to make your face look like that. The makeup will take time to set up."
The scene Ren was doing was of the time before his regression, when the character of Rei was living his life dejectedly as a middle aged office worker.
The director wanted to shoot those scenes first as they are not much in number. That's why there were not much actors on the set.
But although there were not much actors on the set, the mood of the staff was great and everyone was working hard to set the props right and checking the cameras.
"You can have a short sleep if you want. Many actors do that."
"No, I am not feeling sleepy at all."
Ren had slept early yesterday as he don't want to be late for his schedule. Because of that, he was not sleepy at all.
'Let's check my phone instead.'
Ren picked up his phone as he was feeling bored and started checking his messages.
There were some messages from his family and relatives. There were also some from his high school friends.
Ren entered the group chat of his high school friends and just as he entered, messages poured out in an instant.
-What the hell man? You are finally here.
-Yeah, we thought you forgot us after becoming a celebrity.
-Yeah, I never thought you can be that good of an actor.
-I saw your movie with my girlfriend. She was shocked when she heard that I knew you.
-Yeah, you forgot us after becoming famous. You even got the lead role in a drama.
-Yeah, you must be sleeping in money, right.
The group chat become noisy after that comment and everyone was trying for Ren to treat them in a big restaurant.
-Hey, forget about food. He should have flirted with top actress not that he's famous. Send me a photo.
After that comment, the chat became more noisy. His friends were asking for a photo, an autograph and some were even asking for a date.
'Those crazy people!'
Ren thought as he sighed. He felt good talking with his friends again after such a long time but he still felt yearning for his friends because of how single they were.
Well, he can't say much on that topic as Ren was single too.
Ren chatted with his friends for some more time and he finally appeased them by saying that he will treat them to a big meal.
As he was going to end the chat, White bear entered the room.
"It looks like the makeup is going well."
"Yeah, it will be finished in about an hour."
The stylist answered the question in Ren's stead.
"Is the set ready?"
Ren asked as he closed his phone off.
"Yeah, the props are ready and the directors have already checked the camera and sound."
"Then, it's good."
There was a silence for a moment as White bear stared at Ren with an unexplainable expression.
"What?"
Ren asked as he saw White bear's expression through the mirror.
"Nothing, I just thought that we have came a long way ahead."
"Yeah, we were not even able to find a small role in the beginning but now, I am playing the main role in a drama."
"Yeah, it looks like we have reached the sky."
White bear said as he smiled cheerfully and Ren replied in a voice filled with conviction.
"We only have to reach the stars now."
* * *
"Standby! And action!!"
The scene started with the shout of Director Fu.
It was the scene of an office. Papers were scattered everywhere on the floor and many people were working with tired expressions on their faces.
They wanted to take a break but they were working because of their families.
It was the scene of a blank company, a company were employees are exploited but they had no choice but to work as finding a new job was a very hard job.
"Rei!! I told you to submit the documents to my office. Why have you not submitted it till now."
Amidst the employees working hard, a shout came as a middle aged man with a balding head entered the office.
He was the manager of the office and he liked to yell at the employees without any reason and his favourite hobby was to yell at Rei.
"I am sorry, manager. I will submit the documents in an hour.
A man said as he stood up from his seat. He had uncombed hair and there were dark circles under his eyes. He was trying not to show his emotions but he was clearly looking tired.
He was Rei. The main character of the story and a middle aged exploited employee who was tired of his life.
"An hour? What were you doing before that. I will kill you if you didn't submitted it in half an hour."
"Half an hour? That's, that's impossible."
"Make it possible or I will fire you. So you understand that?"
The balding managers was blatantly giving threats to him but Rei just kept his head down like it was a normal thing.
The other employees also just kept working as it was normal. Truthfully, it was really a normal scene for the manager to scold and threaten Rei.
No one was interested in retorting the manager as they feared that the manager will make them the new targets for his threats.
"Lousy bastard. Why are even working when you can't do your job? Useless!!"
The manager kept scolding and threatening Rei but he just kept his head down and listened to it without speaking anything.
Although he was not saying anything, if one looked closely, they can see that his hands were clenched tightly in a fist.
All of his frustration and anger was clenched tightly in that fist but he was not releasing it as Rei wanted to at least have a job.
"Do your job more efficiently from now on or you will face consequences."
"I will do my best. Sorry for the trouble I caused you."
The manager left with that and Rei simples down on his seat and looked at the monitor in front of him.
The reflection on the monitor was looking tired of life. It was a sad reality for him.
"What am I even doing?"
Rei mumbled that as he started typing on the keyboard. He didn't wanted to hear the threats of the manager twice in a day.
Although he was typing, a sigh inexplicably leaked out of his mouth.