Stealing from Me

Since his mood was good, June decided to answer the phone when Brent called. At least, it wasn't the agency or some reporter who ended up getting a phone number registered to him. With the phone tucked between his ear and shoulder, June continued to fold laundry: "Don't say Castelli."

Brent sounded shocked at the greeting. ["You think I'm the kind to gossip? Anyway, the class just finished the documentary. I'm going to grade it today with some panelists. Do you want to watch it with us? What time are you available in the afternoon?"]

After making sure that everything could be left alone, the actor grabbed his keys. At the sound of his keys jiggling as he opened the door, June only snorted at the incoming headache. "I'm going to resign from my agency today, so I don't know when they will be done groveling at my feet. What time did you first schedule the grading?"

["Damn, you're quitting acting?"]

"No." June didn't know if he was going to, but that was his answer right off the bat. If he quit acting, what was he supposed to do? "I'm just leaving my agency. Probably going to look for a new one. Also, are you sure it's okay for me to be there? The rumors are scary."

["You're almost thirty and have zero chemistry with women. I can handle the gender reveal."] Brent couldn't help but roar in laughter afterward his tasteless joke. Still, he could hear June complaining from the other end of the line.

"Gender reveal?! Am I a pregnant woman?!" June growled, wanting to pinch that fatty into submission. However, he only scratched his head before unlocking his car. "All right, I'll show up when I can… around three? I'll let you know if I can make it."

Brent laughed from the other end. ["You're simply the best, June!"]

["Oh, yeah, I also don't think that's something you'll do—wrecking your own reputation, that is."] The film teacher sighed a little. ["The Castelli have tons of giant companies, so if ever they want to compete in the movie industry, I won't doubt that. Also, you're probably the best one they can get to have a good footing."]

June sat down at the seat, seemingly frozen at his friend's words.

Brent only continued: ["June, you're really so good at acting, but the skill disparity between you and your subpar co-stars is making it very hard to watch. If they offer you another movie, please try convincing them to get A-listers to go well with you."]

"…I'll keep that in mind," June only answered with a soft voice before excusing himself to leave. He only placed his phone on the dock and stared at the driveway. "…Brent, if you only know the kind of projects that were stolen from me…"

…

When June reached the building of his agency—Drawn Wings; he was not surprised by the volume of people crowding around the entrance. There were reporters that were probably hoping to ambush him or the management to have a quote about the Castelli-Verrier scandal as they dubbed it. It had no substance at all, but they were already sensationalizing this.

Before June could muster the courage to brave the barrage of people, he saw a car come from another direction. It pulled up to a parking space, and a person who seemed to be Prudence Lang arrived… well, with Reed. The two had been inseparable as if still marketing their movie.

The reporters went to ambush them for an interview, and Prudence was the one answering most questions. This gave June to pass by almost unseen by the reporters. After all, it didn't seem that they didn't know what car a June Verrier would drive.

"…mistake. Everyone in Drawn Wings has high integrity…" June caught some of Prudence's words. However, he only ignored her as he made his escape to the building. He also knew that even if Prudence and Reed noticed his arrival, they wouldn't let the reporters fly away from them.

"June!" His manager had been waiting for him in the lobby for a while. He was so appalled that this man just simply bypassed the horde of media men outside. "June! Hey, listen to me for a moment!"

"I don't think there's anything that I haven't heard from you." June didn't even slow down, his gaze skimming through the worried and curious looks coming from other employees. After all, it was strange for him to be here while the matter with Lantis Castelli was still so fresh.

"Wait! Just wait for a moment!"

The managed chased him inside the elevator, hoping to have a private conversation with him on his way to the office upstairs. Blocking the path so June couldn't leave prematurely, he kept on fighting to preserve his dignity and not beg. "June, I said the wrong things. I am sorry. You don't have to leave just because you think the agency won't do anything about this."

June only crossed his arms and frowned at the actions of the manager. "Sorry, but I know that you will try to salvage the situation. It's just that… what happens after that? I'm going to stick with you again like glue, but you'd steal my scripts and movies from me and toss them at that guy? No way. Let me leave. I had enough of you."

"Then, where will you go?" The manager finally took out this card that June was expecting. "June, you have nowhere else to go. If you leave the agency like this, you can get banned by big agencies and even studios. What will you do after that?"

"I don't know—jump at Castelli's lap?" June spat out, shocking the manager.

The doors opened for new people to get on, but the manager smashed the close button before the doors could even open for more than a hand's width. He didn't care who stood on the other side. There was no way he would stand here smiling while his hidden gem talent was planning to leave.

He then gritted his teeth. "Please, June, reconsider. I beg you."

"All right. I'll reconsider." The manager took a deep breath, only to pull his face when June spoke again: "I thought about it. No. I will leave the agency whatever you say to me now."

"June… Neptune, please don't do this."

"You should have seen my worth before you started tossing my scripts at Reed." June huffed before reaching out to move the manager out of the way. "I have my debts, but it's already been paid when you stole from me."