Kill the Lights

Side track 5 - Kill the lights (pp. 1-2)

Translator/Editor: Qiuqiu-chan

Proofreader: Karma Doyle

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"Cut!"

Vick yelled while jumping out of his seat. Despite Vick’s yelling, everything was still. The staff were motionless, while the rain poured down. Ashton, who was lying (on the ground) in front of Haley, was also frozen stiff. The only one who moved was Haley.

"Tony ..."

Haley wasn’t able to move, but instead called out to him. Tony, who was standing on the sidelines (in the background), grabbed a blanket and rushed over to Haley while calling out,

"Liz!"

At the same time, as if a magic spell had been broken, everyone started moving again. The rain stopped. Tony wrapped the blanket around Haley’s shoulders and supported Haley as he (Haley) collapsed against Tony’s shoulders.

"Liz! Are you alright? Hurry, hurry, (please) call an ambulance!"

Tony worriedly raised a fuss, but Haley waved his hands in refusal. Ashton, who was sitting on the ground, with a red-hot face stared at Haley who was being held in Tony’s arms.

"............"

Vick, who had ran over to review the scene that was just filmed, collapsed into his chair, dumbstruck. "Exactly what did I just film?" a quiet murmur came from his lips.

"Wow!"

Ashamed, Ashton jumped up as if to shout at Haley, (but) one of the staff said in loud voice,

"Wow, I just got goosebumps (in reaction to the scene)!

"Just then (during the scene), your (Ashton’s & Haley’s) passionate confrontation left me feeling as if my soul had been drained."

"Me too, Haley, you are really awesome!"

Another staff shouted, and Haley waved his hands again. The two people who showed such a great performance earlier, were loudly cheered by the staff.

"Ashton, you can act this well, why did you do that before? (NG several times)

"Ah, as I thought, actors are truly on another level!"

"Now I understand why the director was always calling ’Haley, Haley’’

Everybody kept voicing their praises, but from among them Vick yelled, "Everyone, shut up!" The cheering staff all turned to look at him with round, wide eyes. That scene just now, even a foolish person that knew nothing of acting or movies would have gotten goosebumps from how amazing it was. Haley’s ruthless expression, his gestures, and Ashton’s frightened face, ’ahh’........There was an intense feeling of pressure as if it was really happening in front of their eyes. No way, just because the script was messed up (by Ashton), that (amazing scene) happened? Everyone was silent and looked at Vick. He was the greatest producing director in Hollywood, Vick Procter. An amazing scene filled with artistic talent & aesthetics that anyone could see, how could he not have noticed (how good it was). Vick stared hard at Haley. Haley, who had been leaning weakly against Tony, straightened up and stared back at Vick.

"Haley."

Vick, almost as if he was going to run, walked up to Haley. While feeling like the sky was turning round and round (dizzy), Mason saw Vick’s serious expression, and furrowed his brow. Ashton will absolutely refuse to refilm the scene again. Even just now, Ashton was angry and had gotten up to yell (at Haley), but because the staff were cheering and clapping, he was unable to do so.

"Haley"

Vick called out once more and came close with a serious expression, "Yes?" Mason answered heavily. If the scene just now doesn’t work, we won’t be able to finish filming it today. I really feel like I’m going to die, Vick... was what Mason was going to say, but Vick spoke before he (Mason) could,

"Haley ...... Haley ...... Haley ... My Muse ......."

"......."

The formerly stiff and rigid Vick, desperately grabbed hold of Mason’s cold & wet hand, trembling, as if he had just found a lost precious treasure. Mason tried to pull his hand away, but Vick more firmly & securely grasped it while asking with passionate eyes,

"Have you decided what movie you are doing next? Won’t you film one more movie with me?"

"......."

"Please shoot your next movie with me...... no, also the movie after that..... no, please film your movies with me forever."

Mason attempted to remove his hand from the proposing Vick’s, but Vick would not let go. Vick knew exactly what had just happened in front of his eyes. He was a genius, a producing director that everyone sang praises about. He could tell from the beginning that the scene happening in front of him was amazing. Of course, he wasn’t able to understand everything that was said (during the scene), but still. The one who had lead Ashton to show such amazing acting was Haley.

Once again, Ashton would have tried to show horrible acting and made everyone feel like their guts were turning inside out, but Haley had forgotten the boundaries between reality and acting (so his mercenary side kicked in). Vick wasn’t quite able to catch what was being whispered, but Ashton who had heard the words "I killed him." acted according to the script, as if a reaper was dragging him into hell by the nape of his neck. Haley’s creepy gaze, strange expression, and scary voice... even the minor role actors behind Haley, with intent gazes and gestures, moved like they were really characters in the movie. In a dark street with the rain pouring down, to the chaser & the chased, Closure (Mason’s character) & Paul (Ashton’s character), the camera had been forgotten. - at that moment, everything was reality.

"Haley, why have you only appeared (in front of me) now? If you had acted in my previous movie, in the previous movie before that, I would have been even more famous."

Of course, the previous movie and the movie before that were both masterpieces, but they could have become even more amazing masterpieces! Vick sighed in regret and held tightly onto Haley’s hand, while saying with an affectionate voice,

"Haley.........."

"Um, my hand...."

With an indifferent face, Haley furrowed his brow while trying to get his hand free, but Vick shook his head and held even more firmly onto his hand.

"Why, are you trying to go somewhere, huh?"

Vick spoke like a greedy miser. Why would he release Haley’s hand? This was the very rope that God has sent down to pull him up to heaven, rather than the sound of angelic trumpets, it was God smiling kindly & reaching out his hand to pull him up.

"Director, you and I have not even decided what movie to shoot next, so what are you talking about?"

TBC...

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T/N: I found this novel two weeks ago and I read all of the translated chapters in one sitting. I was quite sad when I found out it wasn’t complete and hadn’t been updated in 9 months. I am not fluent in Korean, but I will try my best. If you find anything that confuses you, please comment, I’ll try to explain as well as I can.

If the original translator Hwarang (Korean Novels) does not like the fact that I am translating this, I can take it down. Previous chapters can be found at their website in the external link below.

Thank you for helping me Doyle-san! And thanks for reading everyone!