CH25

The once-empty house was filled with the warmth of people. 

Upon returning from exchanging greetings with neighbors to become familiar with the unfamiliar neighborhood of Beverly Hills, the parents made a peculiar comment, "Should we have chosen private instead of public school?" 

Ian, who had decided to transfer to a public school in Beverly Hills due to the long commute to his previous school, inwardly scoffed at Chloe's words. 

It was clear that they had been influenced by those around them.

"Why? Who said we should send him to a private school?" 

"Well, Rachel goes to a private school, doesn't she? I thought it might be nice if he went to the same school." 

"You know, even if we wanted to, transferring there would be tough. The competition for the entrance exams is fierce." 

It was natural for wealthy people to take an interest in their children's education, and Beverly Hills demonstrated fierce entrance competition from elementary school onward, to the extent that some parents would hire child psychologists and educational consultants for their children to attend a private elementary school that costs tens of millions of won a year. 

"I'd be confident if they asked me to take the SSAT or IESS exams, but how can I go to a place where there aren't even any vacancies?" 

Gaining admission to a private school required passing the SSAT or IESS, but having a slot available was also necessary. 

While agreeing, Chloe looked uneasily anxious, to which Ian cheerfully said, "But it's definitely Beverly Hills, right? Even among public schools, the difference is huge."

Remembering the school they had visited for admission, Chloe finally smiled. 

"Right. It seemed really nice. The teachers seemed of high quality." 

"And the amount of donations from alumni entering the school must be huge, right?"

Given that famous schools receive tens of billions of won in donations from alumni associations each year. 

Ian's phone rang as he happily chatted about the school he would be attending. 

Seeing the name on the screen, he couldn't help but feel puzzled. 

'Showrunner?'

It was the name of Caitlin Nelson, the showrunner of Invisible Children. 

They rarely contacted each other, especially since it was a shooting break, making it even less likely for her to call. 

Feeling curious, Ian answered the call. "Showrunner? What's up?"

-The call was quite sudden, wasn't it? Sorry. How was Thanksgiving? Did you have turkey? 

"Dad struggled to make turducken, but yes, it was good." 

Turducken is a dish made by stuffing a chicken inside a duck and then putting that duck inside a turkey. 

It's a challenging dish that involves deboning and stuffing without leaving any gaps, making it easier for many to just buy it.

-Hahaha, still, it must have been edible, right? 

Dylan, who's somewhat of a chef, messed up the cooking, and Chloe ended up hitting him on the back. 

Laughing at the memory, Ian listened as Caitlin got to the point. 

-Ha, it's strange for me, a showrunner, to say this, but. Are you interested in acting in another drama? 

"Another drama?" 

It wasn't something a real showrunner would typically ask. 

"Are you producing another show as well?" 

-Would I have the time for that? 

Considering the success of Invisible Children alone, she would be too busy. 

It wasn't like she was just relaxing during the hiatus. 

The hiatus was a time for managing the latter half of the season written by the writers and planning for the next season, especially since HMO had already confirmed the next season due to the show's success. 

-I would have outright refused if it had been anyone else asking, but the person who asked owes me a lot, so it's hard to say no. 

"Is that so?"

 -There's a role that's difficult to cast just anyone for, and they really want to use you for it. 

She spoke with a tone full of apology.

Of course, Ian had no intention of turning down an opportunity to act, but he had his doubts. 

"I understand that as showrunners, you can coordinate the filming schedule, but what about ratings and such?" 

Even if they don't air at the same time, there could be conflicts with rerun schedules, and broadcasters might not like it. 

He knew she wouldn't have made the proposal without any consideration, and to his somewhat hesitant question, she gave a clear answer. 

"Time? It's completely irrelevant. It's a summer season drama."

***

In the US, TV drama seasons can be broadly divided into three categories: the regular season, which starts in September and ends in May of the following year; the mid-season, which fills the gap left by less popular dramas from January to May through mid-season changes; and the summer season, when broadcasters often air reruns during the holiday season, leaving slots open for new content.

Hearing it was a summer season drama, Ian arrived at the meeting place where Caitlin and an elderly man welcomed him. 

"Oh, Noah! To finally meet the treasure that Cassie has kept so tightly wrapped up. It's an honor." 

The man, who jovially approached and called Caitlin by her nickname, warmly shook hands. 

"I'm Joshua Goldman." 

"Ian Pryce." 

After shaking hands, Joshua smiled broadly. 

"Unlike the drama where you swung a staff around, your hand looks like it's held a pen before." 

He then turned to Chloe. 

"It seems your parents are very interested in academics?" 

"No, he's always been self-directed since he was young. We never forced him to do anything." 

"Indeed, the successful ones are never ordinary from a young age. I, for one, never touched my studies unless forced." 

Joshua stepped back with a laugh and sized Ian up. 

With his deep black hair, a straight gaze that scrutinized calmly, and distinct facial features, Joshua was reminded that attractiveness transcends race. 

"You're always made to look so dirty in dramas, I wasn't sure, but you really are good-looking." 

"Thank you." 

"Oh, I've been so caught up in my own thoughts after inviting you here. Please, have a seat."

Once everyone was seated, Joshua began. 

"You weren't too startled by the sudden proposal, were you?" 

"Of course, I'm happy to be considered. But I've only heard that it's a summer season drama. Could I know more about it?" 

"Of course! I should tell you." 

Beverly Hills Moms. 

The title was prominently written on top of a thin stack of papers Joshua had placed on the table. 

"Is this the title of the drama?" 

"Yes, that's right. The theme revolves around two main things: the affairs and educational fervor of mothers living in Beverly Hills, mixed with a thriller element." 

At the mention of educational fervor, Ian glanced at Chloe, who averted her eyes. 

Thinking it was a coincidence, Ian picked up the paper. 

"A pitch, huh?" 

In the US, every drama begins with a pitch, an oral presentation of the concept, story, characters, what happens in the pilot episode, and the planned number of episodes to network executives. 

Hundreds of pitches are presented to networks each summer, and only a select few are chosen to produce a pilot episode. 

'Affairs, huh. A common theme.'

In the US, affairs are so commonly used as a theme they even appear in sitcoms. 

The educational fervor aspect was slightly unusual? 

"What do you think? Does it sound interesting?" 

"Hard to say just from the pitch. But one thing's for sure. It's a drama I can't watch even if I'm in it." 

It was a drama he couldn't watch, in a different sense from Invisible Children. Joshua burst into laughter at Ian's flat tone.

*** 

"Hmm." 

Rachel made a puzzled face while looking at the YouTube screen. 

18. 

That was the view count for "Any Time," a song they had uploaded with anticipation. 

Ayla, standing behind Rachel, let out a small laugh, bringing her back to the harsh reality. 

"That's what I mean. No matter how good the song is, it's tough. Do you know how much mom spends on marketing whenever she releases a new album? If you had uploaded it on Ian's channel, it wouldn't have ended up like this." 

"…I know." 

She stared blankly at their modest channel named RA-I. 

Rachel and Ian. 

Naming the channel after themselves felt thrilling like they were doing something mischievous, but now it only brought disappointment. 

"Is it too late to upload it to Ian's channel?" 

"…No." 

She disliked that idea. 

Rachel knew she was being stubborn. 

'I don't want to get rid of this channel.' 

Rachel received a lot of attention from a young age as the daughter of Ayla Olson, and Ian, a popular child actor. 

The channel they ran together, hiding their identities, was a place that fulfilled the girl's romantic fantasies. 

Knowing that the channel reflected her daughter's cheeky thoughts, Ayla affectionately stroked her daughter's hair. 

"Then how about we make a promise? Let's not look at this channel for a while. Instead, let's try writing a better song. How about that?" 

"…Should we?" 

"Yeah, it only hurts to keep looking at it. And who's going to watch a channel with just one video? We need a collection of good songs." 

Ayla threw a bait toward Rachel, who was worried that even another song might not receive attention. 

"Ian's singing was so pretty. If he sings a different song, won't we see something new? How about a folk or pop ballad? A dance song might be fun too." 

"…That all sounds good." 

What kind of light would a different song bring? 

Would there be a big difference? 

Feeling excited and hopeful, Rachel turned off YouTube. 

As the YouTube channel was forgotten by its owner, a post appeared on a community forum. 

-OMG! I found an amazing song on YouTube! Everyone, you have to listen to this. It's incredible!

TL/n -

You can read

[

Chaebol up to Chapter 56+

An Investor Who Sees Future up to Chapter 55+ 

Hollywood Actor up to Chapter 54+

Perfect Hero up to Chapter 58+

Devil's Idol up to Chapter 19+

Soar to Stardom up to Chapter 35+

Wizard with a System up to Chapter 14+

]

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