Chapter 20: The Workshop

Note:

A bit longer but please enjoy.

Third Person's POV

The next day, Dara was already at the restaurant by 8 am. Not to work, but to sort out her work schedule.

Eli and her decide last night that Dara would resign from her other jobs but keep her position at the restaurant. She's still new here, and acting gigs aren't always guaranteed, so it's better to have some extra work.

She also got fired at the club so there's no better next step than this.

Her workshop starts at 9 am, while her shift at the restaurant is from 8 am to 2 pm.

Dara is at the restaurant to talk to P'Boss if she could be moved to the afternoon shift. That way, she could attend the workshop and work at the restaurant at the same time.

"To be honest, I can't just grant your request easily. You're still new here at the restaurant. There's a lot you need to learn and you'll only learn that if your shift remains in the morning," P'Boss explained.

Sadness crept onto Dara's face as she bowed her head. She knew that their boss wouldn't agree, considering she's still new.

"But," P'Boss added, causing Dara to look up at him. There was a seriousness in P'Boss's expression that made Dara nervous.

"But?" Dara repeated anxiously.

"But because I've seen your dedication for the past few days that you've been here, I can say that you have potential," P'Boss said.

"Really?" Dara's eyes widened upon hearing that.

"Yes. I've noticed that you've grasped the basics even without being taught by your coworkers. Perhaps it's because of your experience working at the club. So….. I agree. I'll change your shift," P'Boss happily announced.

P'Boss saw her resume about working at the club every night, so he understood why she was skilled at her job.

"Oh my gosh! Thank you so much," Dara said happily.

"Starting tomorrow, you'll be coming in from 2 pm to 10 pm. Is that okay with you?" P'Boss asked.

"Yes, sir. That's perfectly fine," Dara happily replied.

"Great. For now, I'll allow you to take a day off to take care of your other errands," P'Boss added.

"Thank you so much, sir. You're so kind," Dara expressed her gratitude earnestly.

"Please, just call me P'Boss," he insisted.

"Alright, P'Boss it is," Dara said before leaving the office.

As she walked down the hallway, Dara noticed that there were quite a few people inside, so she refrained from greeting her other coworkers to avoid causing any disruptions.

"Did you talk to him?" Uriah eagerly asked Dara as soon as she exited the restaurant.

Uriah was waiting outside the restaurant for Dara, having already gone in to speak with P'Boss. He had decided to resign for good, as they didn't really need the money. They were only there because he wanted to bake at the restaurant. P'Boss had accepted his resignation, as they still had another pastry chef, and he also wanted to pursue his passion for acting.

"Yeah, he agreed to give me a day off to take care of some other things and also agreed to change my work schedule," Dara explained.

"My love is so kind," Uriah said with a sweet, melting tone.

"Hahaha," Dara replied with a simple laugh. He still have a crush to P'Boss.

After leaving the restaurant, Uriah and Dara went to the star company to attend their workshop. This was crucial for them, especially for Dara, who was new to the industry.

"This way please," said the assistant guiding them.

Dara followed the woman towards the next building. It was taller than their previous one Mr. Alex's office is located, with only 24 floors.

They entered the elevator, and the woman pressed the button for the 26th floor. Usually, celebrities under Start Idol Entertainment were on the 30th floor, but since they were new and had a workshop, they were on the 26th floor.

"Please come in," the woman said.

They followed her and went inside the room she indicated before she left.

'We didn't even get to thank her,' Dara regretted to herself.

Inside, there were many mirrors surrounding the room. There was also a music section where the sound system and controller were located.

In the middle, there were 13 chairs arranged in a circle. Three people were already seated when Dara and Uriah entered the room. They were all beautiful and handsome.

"Hello," Uriah greeted with a smile to the others inside.

"Hi. Are you here for the acting workshop too?" a cheerful girl asked, urging Uriah to sit beside her.

She was wearing a cute ruffle dress. Since there was no one sitting next to the girl, Uriah took the spot beside her.

Meanwhile, Dara was in her own place because of the mirrors surrounding the room. Everywhere she looked, she could see her reflection. Because of this, she didn't notice that Uriah was already engaged in conversation with someone.

"Yes, you too?" Uriah asked back.

"Nice. We're together then. By the way, I'm Elh," she said happily, extending her right hand for a handshake.

"I'm Uriah, and this is—" he paused briefly, looking for Dara whom she thought was right beside him.

She saw her sitting in the front row.

"Hey Dara! What are you doing there?" Uriah asked Dara from across the room.

"Oh, you're not allowed there. That seat is for the Acting coach," Elh interjected.

Dara quickly stood up and hurriedly sat beside Uriah.

"Sorry," she muttered, feeling embarrassed about her actions.

"Anyways, this is Dara," Uriah continued with the introduction.

"Hello! I'm Elh. Nice meeting you," Elh reintroduced herself to Dara and shook hands.

"You're so beautiful," Elh complimented Dara. "And you're handsome too," she added, complimenting Uriah.

"Thank you. You too," Uriah replied shyly.

"Me too? Am I handsome too?" Elh joked.

"No, beautiful," Uriah responded, and they all laughed.

"Anyways, have you been here long?" Uriah asked curiously, wondering if they were late.

"Not really. The staff said we should wait here until the acting coach arrives. It starts at 9," Elh explained.

Dara nodded in agreement, indicating she understood.

"What about your roles? I'm playing Athena," Elh said again.

"I'll be playing France," Uriah confidently replied.

Elh was surprised, and her eyes widened. She covered her mouth with both hands.

"Oh my! You're the Male Lead!" she exclaimed excitedly that made others look on their way.

"Yes, and the person right here will be my partner. Cassandra, the Female lead," Uriah added, placing his hand on Dara's lower back.

Dara just smiled.

"Oh my! I can't believe it. No wonder you were chosen to play the lead role. Just by looking at you, you're already fit for the lead!" Elh exclaimed.

While waiting, the three of them chatted as the others arrived one by one.

After a few minutes, the acting coach finally entered the room.

"Good morning," she greeted as she took the empty seat in front where Dara accidentally sat earlier.

"Good morning," they all greeted back.

"I'm Nicole Palirit, your acting coach for this film," she introduced herself. "Today marks the first day of our workshop for the movie 'Billion of Lies.' This is also preparation for the script reading scheduled in two weeks. There, you'll also meet the other big names involved in this film, so do your best," she added.

Everyone nodded, indicating their understanding.

"Now, let's start with something light. No pressure scenes for now. I want to get to know each of you and understand what areas of your acting skills need improvement," Coach Nicole said.

She assessed everyone in her acting class, observing who among them showed potential. Her gaze landed on Uriah's group. She paused and glanced at Dara.

When Dara noticed, Coach Nicole quickly looked away and resumed speaking.

'It's scary me the way she looks,' Dara thought to herself.

"You," Coach Nicole said, pointing to her right. "You'll start. Don't be nervous. Be yourself while introducing yourself, your role, and your strengths and weaknesses you want to improve during this class," she guided.

They began introducing themselves, one by one.

"Hi, I'm Drake, 23 years old. I'll be playing the handsome secretary to France named Austine. I'm good at action but weak in drama. I hope you can help me," confidently and friendly, the first one introduced.

Everyone applauded and the person next. After the sixth introduction, Elh was up next. She stood up and began her introduction.

"Hello everyone, I'm Elh. 22 years old. I'll be portraying Athena. My strengths are action and drama. I'm also good at comedy and ad libs. I just need help with stunts for action scenes but I don't think that will be a problem," Elh confidently stated.

Everyone was impressed and applauded. Elh caught Drake's attention when he mentioned action and stunts.

"Yes, we won't have too many action scenes in this film," Coach Nicole commented. "Can I ask if you have any background in acting before?" she curiously inquired.

"Ah, yes. I've been involved in theater since I was a kid," Elh replied. There was a humble tone in her voice, indicating that she wasn't bragging to impress anyone.

Everyone was even more amazed to hear Elh's background. Whispers of admiration could be heard throughout the room.

"She's amazing."

"Wow."

Others commented.

Feeling slightly embarrassed by the attention, Elh took her seat.

"Looking forward to seeing what you can do," Coach Nicole said. "Next please," she added, signaling for the next person to speak.

Uriah stood up confidently, showing off his charisma and good looks.

"I'm Uriah Sebastian Galvez, but you can call me Uriah for short. I'm 24 years old and I'll be portraying the character of France in this movie. Like Elh here, I also have experience in theater, so I have some acting background. Perhaps my only weakness is that I'm used to performing on stage not on screen, but we can definitely work on that here," Uriah introduced himself casually.

Uriah's charm was undeniable, causing some of the other women besides Dara and Elh to exchange glances and whispers, impressed by his good looks. Even some of the men felt a twinge of insecurity in his presence.

"Yes, you're right. Class, while having a theater background is a significant advantage, performing in front of a camera and under stage lights is a different experience. Through this class, you'll learn how to face large crowds, whether it's the staff, production team, directors, or others," commented Coach Nicole. "You may take a seat now. Next, please," she added.

This time, it was Dara's turn to introduce herself. She felt nervous ever since Drake started speaking, fearing she might make a mistake and become the subject of laughter.

Despite her trembling hands and nerves, Dara slowly stood up and cleared her throat.

"Um, I-I'm Dara Saetang. I'm 21 years old. Um, I will be going to take on the role of Cassandra," Dara began hesitantly. Her voice betrayed her anxiety, especially as she noticed others whispering to each other.

Clearing her mind, Dara decided to ignore the whispers and focus on finishing her introduction.

"It's my first time being exposed to the field of acting. I mean, I don't know much about it yet, so I'm hoping to learn a lot from this workshop class. I'm counting on you all," Dara politely said, bowing slightly in the direction of Coach Nicole to show respect and gratitude for her guidance.

Coach Nicole smiled warmly from her seat.

"I hope you'll learn a lot from this class and enjoy acting," Coach Nicole positively commented. "You can take a seat now, next please," she added.

Dara felt relieved after hearing that. Uriah gently nudged her, catching her attention. She looked at him and saw that both he and Elh were cheering her on.

After the introductions, Coach Nicole gave some pointers and assignments before dismissing the class.

"That's it for now. Don't forget to practice your facial expressions at home. You can record yourselves or practice in front of a mirror to see your own expressions, understood?" Coach Nicole's final instructions.

"Yes, coach," they all responded in unison.

Everyone started getting ready to leave when Coach Nicole remembered something.

"Oh, by the way," she said. "Uriah?" she called out.

Dara and Uriah exchanged glances, puzzled by the situation. They had no clue why they were being called.

In response, the three of them approached Coach Nicole.

"Why?" Uriah asked.

"Have you met Alex?" Coach Nicole inquired.

"Mr. Alex? Y-yes, we have. Why?" Uriah replied hesitantly.

"Good. Can one of you stop by his office? He said he has something important to give," she explained.

"Ah, sure. We'll drop by his office before heading home. Thank you," Uriah said.

As they exited the room, they decided to split up for the moment. Dara needed to pass by the front desk to inquire, while Uriah was headed to Mr. Alex's office. This way, they could finish quickly and head home early.

Elh, on the other hand, wanted to accompany them but she wasn't available as she still had a class to attend.

They all exited the building together and exchanged waves as they parted ways.

Dara went to the front desk to inquire. Their conversation was brief, so it was quickly concluded.

While waiting for Uriah, Dara stepped out of the building to go to the convenience store. Since it was quite far, Dara sent a quick text to Uriah asking him to wait for a moment.

On her way back to the Star Company, Dara spotted Mr. Kim chatting with his tentacles while walking towards her direction.

Caught off guard, Dara hurriedly crossed the street and entered a nearby establishment. As Dara carefully surveyed her surroundings, she accidentally bumped into someone from behind.

~To be Continued ~