Emotional Vs Cold-Hearted

….

With today's shoot wrapped up, something else had come to an end.

Ross Oakley had completed his final schedule for the film. Which meant he wouldn't be stepping onto this set again.

He sat with his arms crossed, silently watching as the crew packed up.

…and directly opposite him, Regal lounged with a casual expression.

A faint tension hung in the air behind them, especially between the crew members.

Neither of them acknowledged it.

But the crew did.

Movements were just a little more cautious, conversations a little more hushed, as if afraid of disrupting something unspoken between the two men at the center of it all.

Ross, ignoring the shifting atmosphere around them, finally turned to Regal. "I figured you would throw some grand farewell on my last day." A beat passed before he added. "Though, I hate those things myself." 

Regal smirked, his voice carrying that familiar edge of sarcasm. "That's unexpected. I thought you liked being revered."

Ross immediately knew what he was referring to.

The first day on set.

Regal still remembered the mess caused by Ross' temporary assistant, Danny Foster. The guy had made it sound like if Ross Oakley was even slightly displeased, the entire movie would grind to a halt.

The way he carried himself, barking about 'proper welcomes' and 'where is the grand reception for Mr. Oakley,' it was as if he was actively looking for trouble.

Ross exhaled sharply, looking a little worn out just from the memory. "Don't bring that up. You are ruining the mood."

Regal chuckled but didn't push further. Instead, he said. "Alright. But I need a favor."

"....?" Ross eyed him blankly.

His expression said it all - Is this brat really trying to rope me into something now?

If it had been anyone else, Ross would have shut them down instantly. But after spending these past days on set, he couldn't deny it, he had grown to respect Regal's work.

More than that, they were close now. Closer than Ross normally allowed anyone to get. And it had just happened, naturally.

"…What is it?" Ross asked, as he had already decided.

Well, he was certain Regal wouldn't ask for anything unreasonable, at least, not something completely absurd.

Receiving Ross's approval, Regal turned his gaze toward a young man nearby and called out. "Alexander Tobias."

At the sound of his name, Alexander's head snapped up. His hands were still occupied, mid-task, but his face, oh, his face, was a mixture of shock and something close to dread.

Alexander Tobias - the main assistant director.

He had worked with Regal before, back in [Following], though his role back then wasn't as significant.

Ross noticed immediately. That was the same guy from the auditions, the one who had clapped a little too enthusiastically for his performance.

Regal waved him over. "Come here for a second."

Alexander hesitated for a second before making his way over, his steps slightly stiff, probably because of the man sitting beside Regal.

"Um, director …you called?" He asked, trying his best to sound casual.

Regal gestured lazily. "Yeah. Ross, this is Alexander Tobias. You probably know him already, assistant director on this project." He paused, glancing at Alexander before adding. "And a huge fan of yours."

Ross arched a brow and shifted his gaze toward Alexander, who looked like he had just been exposed in a courtroom.

"Director, I was just joking about i–" Alexander started, his voice flustered.

"Joking about what? Being a FAN?" Regal's gaze was practically dripping with amusement now.

Alexander looked at Ross, panic flashing across his face.

Being a fan, he knew Ross Oakley's reputation. The man wasn't exactly known for being patient.

"No, that part is true! I am, absolutely, a big fan of Ross Oakley." He blurted out the words so quickly it almost sounded rehearsed.

Regal chuckled. "See? Die-hard fan."

Despite his panicked expression, it was true.

Alexander Tobias was a fan.

And if anything, his nervousness wasn't from fear, it was from being completely starstruck, even though he has already seen Ross Oakley many times on set.

Regal extended his hand toward Alexander. "Alright, give me your notepad."

Alexander, still looking like he was processing what was happening, hurriedly pulled a small notepad from his back pocket and handed it over.

Regal turned to Ross. "If you don't mind, sir."

Ross exhaled again but didn't argue. He nodded, then held out a hand.

"Pen." He said simply.

"Of course! Here, sir."

Without missing a beat, Alexander pulled a pen from his other pocket. It was almost comical, like he had turned into some blue robotic cat with an endless supply of items.

Ross eyed both the pen and Alexander's face.

The speed was suspicious. But there was no mistaking it.

The guy was a fan through and through.

His eyes practically shimmered with excitement.

Ross let out a quiet sigh and took the pen. "Name? What should I write?"

Alexander blinked, caught off guard. "...Sir?"

"It's Alexander Tobias. Oh, and draw a heart next to it while you are at it." Regal added smoothly.

Alexander immediately shot him a betrayed look. His expression practically screamed, Really?

Regal simply shrugged.

Ignoring the exchange including the 'heart' part, Ross signed his autograph on the notepad and handed it back to Alexander.

"Thank you, sir. This means… a lot." Alexander said, holding the note like it was a priceless artifact.

Regal smirked. "Hey, I called you over because you kept saying you had to meet him at least once. You practically swore you would drop dead if you didn't, so don't make this too sentimental. Now, get going."

Alexander rubbed the back of his neck, clearly embarrassed. "…Hehe, thanks, director."

He really hadn't expected Regal to remember, considering how busy he was. With that, he left, hurrying back to his work.

Ross watched him disappear, then turned back to Regal with a raised eyebrow. "You are being too soft."

Regal understood what Ross was referring to, but he just leaned back, unconcerned. "I don't see the harm in it."

Ross let out a quiet scoff. "Don't forget a director is the captain of the ship. If you let emotions dictate your actions, it's only a matter of time before it backfires."

"...." Regal didn't argue, so Ross pressed on.

"Take that guy, for example." He motioned toward where Alexander had gone. "You are too lenient with him. Do you really think he will work harder because you are nice? Wouldn't he be more productive if you kept things strict and professional."

Regal's smile didn't waver. "Sure, life is easier when you keep emotions out of it. But I would rather do things my way."

Ross narrowed his eyes slightly. "And why is that?"

Regal glanced at the set, watching as crew members adjusted lights and ran final checks. After a brief pause, he answered.

"Because I believe a film turns out better when the people making it actually enjoy their work instead of constantly fearing they will mess up."

Ross studied him for a moment, then let out a slow exhale. "Being nice now is one thing." He said. "But eventually, someone is going to take advantage of that. Today, it's just an autograph. Tomorrow? Who knows?"

"If you refuse, you will be the bad guy." Ross added. "People will turn on you in an instant." He concluded with a light pause. "That's just how the world works, and so does Hollywood."

Regal, unbothered, leaned back and responded with a small smile. "And one day, that same person might return the favor - several times over."

He tilted his head slightly. "Who knows? Maybe he will be the one to pull this entire project back from the brink when it really matters."

A pause. Then, with the same calmness, Regal added. "That's also how the world works… and how Hollywood can be."

Ross folded his arms. "Guess we will see."

Regal glanced at him, then smirked. "You know, I think you are more emotional than me, Sir Ross."

Ross shot him a deadpan look. "Are you blind?"

Regal's smirk widened, but before he could say anything, Ross sighed and shook his head. "You are awful at reading people."

Regal didn't argue. But inwardly? He disagreed.

If anything, he knew he was right.

It wasn't just some careless assumption. Over the past few days, he had watched Ross closely.

The man wasn't as detached as he liked to pretend. And in this short conversation alone, he had shown more emotion than he probably realized, sharing thoughts he wouldn't normally voice.

Regal leaned back slightly. "Since we are on the topic…

.

….

[To be continued…]

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