Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Part 4

Ever since his face was ruined, he had lost count of how many times he had thought: I want to go back in time and beat some sense into myself for agreeing to do this movie. But the money had been too good to refuse. Besides, Sion, who had been building up his value as an actor by landing lead roles in several teen movies, had intended to use this film to expand his career. He wanted to prove that he wasn't just a pretty face who won over female audiences with a few sweet words. He wanted to make even bigger money. But the eighteen-year-old Sion Lee, who dreamed of making it big as a serious actor, ended up delivering nothing but childish, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠amateurish acting. In the eyes of the industry and the audience, that was all he was—a mediocre performer.

"...Whew." Sion let out a soft sigh and kept watching the movie. After a sequence lasting about ten minutes ended, he unconsciously pressed his hand to his forehead.

Kevin, Jenny, Marcus, and Naomi—the most popular kids in school—decide to go camping behind their parents' backs. Naomi, who despises the protagonist Susan, steals Susan's precious heirloom pendant from her grandmother... Okay, so far, so good. That's a standard setup.

Susan sneaks into their car to get it back, but before she can escape, they drive off, forcing her to go to their campsite. Meanwhile, Gary, the school bully, sees this and follows them on his motorcycle... What kind of ridiculous, nonsensical plot progression was this?

But it couldn't be helped. It was a demand from the investors. Make the female lead as ordinary as possible so that as many girls as possible can relate to her. But make sure she's actually gorgeous underneath her unstyled look, so all the boys in school are secretly in love with her. In trying to force an explanation for how this "ordinary schoolgirl" ended up crashing the popular kids' camping trip, and why the school bully came looking for her, they had to butcher the script. Plausibility had been thrown completely out the window.

And so, after Kevin's group arrives at the campsite, they discover Susan hiding in the trunk of their SUV. Since it is too late to head back, Susan has no choice but to spend the night with them.

The acting of the cast in this movie, including Sion's, could not be called good by any stretch of the imagination. However, Elena Asimov, who played Susan, was the sole exception. Her performance was passive and understated, fitting for a horror movie protagonist, yet her presence never faded. Even amidst the chaotic, nonsensical plot, her acting anchored the audience, allowing them to immerse themselves in the story. To put it simply, she was the textbook definition of "a great performance in a terrible movie."

Because of this, she had absolutely detested Sion on set. Unlike me, she was genuinely passionate about the craft of acting. She must have loathed him for coasting by on his looks and half-assing his scenes. Perhaps that was why her career as an actress flourished so much later on. Though she had a bit of a hiatus in the middle, she eventually became recognized as a legendary actress, often hailed as the successor to Meryl Streep. ...Anyway.

The scene shifts as Gary, who followed Susan to the campsite, appears, causing a commotion. Gary offers to take Susan back on his motorcycle, but Susan is terrified. Right then, Kevin steps in with a smirk.

"Ugh..." If Sion usually carried a handgun, he would have shot the screen without hesitation at this very moment. Right between the eyes of that giant face plastered across the center of the screen.

Wow, how can anyone be that awful? He wasn't talking about the movie; he was talking about his past self. His tone, nuance, character interpretation, gestures, facial expressions, eye contact—every single acting element that came to mind was utterly dreadful. He looked like a prince who had dropped in from some fantasy world. And that fantasy world only existed in children's fairy tales. It was childish and lacked any depth.

Yet, at that exact moment, high-pitched squeals of "Kyaaa!" erupted from various corners of the theater. To these young female audience members—Sion Lee's devoted fans who made a habit of watching his movies multiple times—Sion Lee was an actor who brought pure joy simply by appearing on screen. To these girls, who were more than willing to pay just to watch him move across the screen, Sion was a fantasy come to life, someone who could never exist in an ordinary high school.

Oh my god! Oh my god!

Kyaaa! Look at his eyes!

The most extraordinary feature of his striking, aura-radiating face was his eyes. His green eyes, framed by long eyelashes, exuded an incredibly mysterious charm. Combined with his youthful teenage freshness and androgynous features, Sion had instantly shot to stardom in a Hollywood male actor market previously dominated by hyper-machismo images.

An actor who earned his keep just by showing his face, and who was honestly better off without any lines. Kevin, the character Sion played in this film, was ultimately just another variation of that same formula. It was essentially a marketing ploy to sell the actor's image, which hovered somewhere between pure innocence and decadent beauty.

In the script, Kevin was supposed to be a character with inner darkness and seriousness beneath his rebellious exterior. For instance, while he would kiss his girlfriend Jenny without hesitation, he would flatly refuse a friend's offer to smoke a cigarette. Through these complex facets, he was meant to serve as a central pillar of the story.

Though my acting didn't bring out any of that.

With all the characters gathered, the story began to unfold in earnest. Kevin teased the ordinary Susan, who had crashed their party, with mock interest. Because of his teasing, Susan gradually began to talk back to him.

After a few more bickering exchanges, Kevin sat a little closer to Susan. A subtle tension drifted between them.

Wait, what? Is something going to happen between him and Susan?

Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god.

Many female audience members held back their screams as they watched, while—

Oh, damn it. I'm going to lose my mind. I feel like I'm going crazy. Please make it stop.

Sion cringed so hard he felt like he was having a seizure.

In truth, Deadly Summer Camp wasn't a complete disaster. It aimed to entertain by blending the slasher genre established by Halloween and Friday the 13th with a teen drama twist. The romance sprinkled throughout kept the film from becoming too heavy, and the direction functioned reasonably well for a PG-13 movie targeted at teenagers.

The source of Sion's agony wasn't the dated, sensationalist 1990s aesthetic, but rather his own acting. While he initially felt nothing but shame, a sense of profound regret washed over him as the movie progressed. He realized that he hadn't been fully focused while filming this movie.

Why did I do that? No matter how he looked at it, the movie wasn't the absolute worst. And even if it had been, he was the one who chose to do it. As a professional, he should have given it his all. Yet, the self on the screen was by no means acting "properly." Leaving aside his lack of skill, and even considering the pain he was going through due to his mother's issues, he had clearly not treated the craft of acting with sincerity. To his future self, who had spent decades striving to survive as an actor, this was painfully obvious at a single glance. His shame only deepened.

No wonder I got dragged so hard when this is the level I was at. He wanted to erase it. He wanted to completely wipe his past self off the screen right this second. But that was impossible, and this film would go on to achieve the glorious feat of winning him the Worst Actor award at the Golden Raspberry Awards.

The tabloids must have loved it. With fans and haters so sharply divided, I was practically handing them clickbait on a silver platter. Re-evaluating his past self through his performance on the screen, Sion let out a long sigh and organized his thoughts. Alright, first things first... He needed to slowly change the image of "Sion Lee" that the media loved to tear apart. And he would start by diligently handling his scheduled appearances.

The next day, after Sion had spent the previous day sorting through his complex emotions and planning his future, Charlie Kang arrived right on time in front of Sion's house to pick him up, just as promised. Fretting over whether Sion might cause another scene, Charlie drove him to the radio station.

Inside the waiting room at the station. "Whew... Unlike the hospital, it's nice to be able to smoke in peace." Charlie Kang stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray on the table. With dark circles bruising the skin under his eyes, he squinted, keeping a watchful, suspicious gaze on Sion.

"I'm absolutely thrilled you weren't late for today's schedule, Yi-siony. And I'm glad you didn't cause any trouble yesterday."

"What kind of person do you take me for?"

"Did you erase the memory of crashing your motorcycle in the desert from your brain?"

"..." Sion couldn't think of a comeback.

"Thanks to you, I spent the entire night making calls and kissing ass. I'm absolutely exhausted."

"The tragic reality of being an agent."

"Well, thanks to that, we kept the articles from running and buried it as much as possible. The tabloids are still snapping at our heels, but that's just stray dogs barking. Don't worry about it. More importantly, how are you feeling today?"

"Not bad."

"Don't tell me you drank yesterday too?"

"I didn't. I watched Deadly Summer Camp at a theater and went straight home to sleep."

"...You watched it? Why? You usually never watch your own movies."

"I guess nearly dying changes a person. I felt like watching it. Though I regretted it a bit because my acting was atrocious."

"...? Since when do you care about acting quality?" Sion thought it was a rather profound statement, but Charlie didn't pay much attention to it. He was ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠too stressed to worry about minor details.

"Anyway, I just hope nothing crazy happens during the interview today, Sion." Sion noticed that Charlie's demeanor was slightly different from usual. He was chain-smoking (though he was always a heavy smoker) and pacing around the room without sitting down.

"Why are you so anxious, Charlie? Is there a problem with today's interview?"

"Did you seriously hit your head somewhere? It's the Fun Fire Freak Show!"

"...Ah." The memory, which he had brushed aside yesterday because his mind was consumed by the movie, slowly crept back. "DJ Steve... right?"

"Yeah. Make sure you don't let that bastard bait you. You had a rough time with him last time too."

The Fun Fire Freak Show was a highly-rated radio program. While many celebrities appeared on it for promotion, it was notorious in the industry as a show that no one actually wanted to do. Under the guise of "candid broadcasting," the host frequently pried into celebrities' private lives without prior agreement. Sion couldn't recall the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠exact details of his last appearance, but he felt an instinctive discomfort. It was as if his very body was rejecting the idea of doing this show. However, since it was already scheduled, there was no backing out now.

I've already decided on my approach. I'll stay calm. No matter how he tries to bait me, I won't cause a scene. Wait, why should I take his crap? If he starts throwing shade, don't I have the right to throw it back? ...No, hold it in, Sion. Act like a professional, no matter what. That's the right move. Sion calmed his racing thoughts and nodded.

"Don't worry. Who do you think I am?" At Sion's confident attitude, Charlie tilted his head and asked back.

"Do you seriously have some kind of brain damage from the car accident?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"If it were the old you, you would've been throwing a massive fit in the car, screaming about why I'm making you do this kind of show again."

"Haha, this is business, Charlie. It's time for me to grow up a bit."

"...Are you really okay? You don't have a pistol hidden in your pocket, do you?"

"It's more like a heavy shotgun than a pistol, but I'll leave that to your imagination." Sion responded with a relaxed smile to the genuinely worried Charlie.

"Well, if you say so."

"It's about time. I'll be back." Sion checked the schedule on the wall and his watch before standing up.

"Good luck. And don't suddenly choke him just because you get mad." Even at the end, Charlie spoke to him as if dealing with someone with a mix of ADHD and antisocial personality disorder.

"OK. I'd rather settle it with the shotgun in my pocket anyway." Tossing back a dark joke of his own, Sion stepped out of the waiting room and calmly surveyed his surroundings. The fact that a radio show provided individual waiting rooms for its guests spoke volumes about its scale. After all, the station broadcasting this show was ABC Radio Networks, which was syndicated nationwide. So, this was actually a good thing.

Time to shock the world. Let's show them I've changed. Sion adjusted his bangs and smiled at his reflection in the mirror. Perhaps because he had lived for decades with a ruined face, his current appearance still felt a bit foreign. He used to find his own face tiresome, but now, he looked incredibly handsome, almost like a self-absorbed teenage boy. At the same time, he objectively understood why people were so fascinated by this "commodity."

As he walked down the hallway following the signs on the wall, a woman who was checking a clipboard recognized him and greeted him.

"Ah, Sion. Hello. I'm Amanda Sampson. I'll be guiding you today."

"Hello! I look forward to working with you today." Amanda Sampson, the guest coordinator, felt her heart skip a beat the moment she saw Sion greet her with a bright smile. Though she had met countless famous Hollywood stars in her line of work, Sion Lee was on another level. She couldn't tear her eyes away from his breathtakingly handsome face, and she found herself wanting to keep talking to him.

I completely understand why all the young girls are crazy about him. But keeping her professionalism intact, Amanda politely guided Sion down the hall.

"This way, please. Was everything comfortable for you in the waiting room?"

"It was so comfortable I almost fell asleep. Honestly, it's much better than my house."

"..."

"Hmm?"

"Oh, ah, I see." And he was polite, too? In the high-stress environment of production, a guest coordinator was essentially a punching bag. They had to assist celebrities who were constantly on edge due to grueling schedules and media gossip, catering to their every whim. In fact, she had recently heard a story about a celebrity throwing a massive tantrum at another studio.

Right, they said he threw a fit because he didn't like the brand of bottled water... And that celebrity had been Sion Lee.

...Wait, what? He was completely different from the rumors. She wondered if he was just in an exceptionally good mood today, but even then, this was unusual. Usually, when celebrities are in a good mood, they treat you with a condescending sort of kindness, like a noble granting a favor to a peasant...

"Thanks to you, Amanda, I don't feel nervous about the broadcast at all!" With a bit of relative exaggeration, the current Sion looked like an angel descended from heaven.

What is going on? Who is this? This is definitely not the Sion Lee I've heard about. But he's definitely that insanely handsome guy... Confused by the massive gap between rumors and reality, Amanda led Sion all the way to the studio.

"Yo, Sion! Ma buddy!" DJ Steve, who was just stepping out after finishing the first part of the broadcast, greeted him with a wide grin. Sporting gold-capped teeth and baggy hip-hop fashion, the host of the hit radio show Fun Fire Freak Show casually offered a fist. Sion bumped his fist in return.

"Steve, how have you been?"

"Yeah~ of course, man! Let's have a good one today! Let's forget about that little clash we had on air last time, okay?" At DJ Steve's playful banter, Sion tilted his head in slight confusion before giving an awkward smile.

"Did ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠we fight?" Behind his oversized sunglasses, Steve's eyes twitched. There's no way he forgot about that... he thought.

And for good reason—they had nearly come to blows inside the studio last time. I almost got choked out. Although Charlie had stepped in after they somehow rushed through the cues to end the broadcast, laughing it off as some sort of pro-wrestling-style stunt to smooth things over, Sion had stormed out, flipping the bird in pure rage.

Yet now, the very culprit of that incident was casually playing dumb. I guess even that brat has finally grown up. Business was business, after all. From that brief exchange, DJ Steve realized that today's broadcast wouldn't be a walk in the park. And of course...

We fought? Me? Sion genuinely had no memory of it.