Tim (Part 1)

The moment he stepped off the plane and into the airport arrivals terminal, a barrage of camera flashes erupted like a cluster of falling stars. Honestly, for a Hollywood star returning home, this wasn't exactly "unprecedented."

"Sion! Look over here, please!"

"We've all been waiting for you!"

"How was the shoot in Europe?!"

"What was it like meeting Michael?!"

The broadcast of Sion Lee's involvement in the Dangerous Tour had sent shockwaves through the public. Countless teenagers across the country had watched the show and ripped the collars of their t-shirts in imitation, only to get grounded by their parents.

Collaborating with a mythical superstar of Michael Jackson's caliber had naturally elevated Sion Lee's status, which, compared to the King of Pop, had previously been that of a mere "rising star."

In other words, it was a green light signaling that Sion, now an adult actor, was successfully shedding his limiting Teen Heartthrob label and transitioning into a mainstream star capable of appealing to all demographics.

For anyone seeking to secure their place and fame in Hollywood, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call this a deeply moving moment. But at this very second, Sion felt the exact opposite.

Patience, right hand.

He struggled to suppress the crooked, rebellious brat inside him that was itching to raise its middle finger at the crowd.

He knew it was a good thing. If an ordinary actor flew back from overseas, reporters wouldn't set up a photo line to welcome them like this.

Yet, despite how grateful he should have been, the exhaustion from the overseas shoot, his severe cheeseburger withdrawal, and his less-than-perfectly groomed appearance made him reluctant to be photographed. Suppressing the burning urge in his middle finger, Sion popped the collar of his jacket to slightly shield his face.

"Whoa, this is gold!"

"Damn, he's still so handsome."

"Even his hair looks perfectly styled in that messy way. Every shot is a pictorial."

"That's a true Hollywood superstar for you!"

But the reporters were completely misinterpreting his look. They assumed his bedhead—the result of sleeping in business class—and his outfit had been meticulously styled in anticipation of the photo line.

In a way, it did look like it. His slightly disheveled dirty-blonde hair and the leather jacket he wore to brave the dry European weather blended naturally with his handsome face, making Sion Lee's signature arrogant, laid-back vibe look effortlessly cool.

"Sion! How was it with Michael?!"

"So many fans are waiting for you!"

Sion ignored the barrage of questions and kept moving with an indifferent expression. The reporters, restricted behind the airport's designated photo line, kept clicking their shutters. As Sion slightly furrowed his brows at the irritating noise, a man rushed toward him in a hurry.

"Yi-siony!"

"...You're late, Charlie."

"Sorry. Traffic was a nightmare getting here. Damn, why are there so many reporters?"

"They'll hear you. Let's talk in the car."

Sion left the dozens of reporters behind and walked out of the airport. A few followed him to snap more photos, but they quickly dispersed once Sion climbed into the passenger seat of the car parked right outside the terminal.

Feeling like a "final girl" escaping a horde of zombies, Sion watched the retreating reporters in the side mirror. With a wry smile, he popped a lemon candy from the dashboard into his mouth.

Yes. No matter how chaotic it felt, returning to America made him feel alive again.

"I didn't expect this level of reaction."

"You're all anyone is talking about across America right now. People are wondering what on earth you did to get the legendary Michael Jackson to feed you Skittles. ...But seriously, how did you do it? Did you blackmail him with some dirt?"

"If I did, Michael Jackson's legal team would have skinned me alive. We just clicked."

"Haha, that's truly bizarre. Just a few years ago, you were on the verge of throwing fists with every celebrity you met. I seriously wanted to send you to a psychiatrist. I thought you had intermittent explosive disorder."

"..."

"Ah, those days flash before my eyes. Like that time you suddenly picked a fight with an actor at an awards ceremony..."

Unable to bear listening to any more of his past self's misdeeds, Sion quietly turned on the radio.

Perhaps because the news of his return was spreading like wildfire, just as Charlie said, his name popped up the moment he randomly tuned in. Even when he flipped through the channels, the sentiment was the same on any talk-heavy program.

Indeed, his name was echoing across countless radio stations.

"..."

"See? I told you, you're the hottest thing right now."

"Have we received any schedule offers?"

"Are you kidding me? My jaw is sore from answering the phone. Every single show out there is practically begging for you to make an appearance. Above all, everyone is dying to know what happened while you were working with Michael. And why wouldn't they? It's the Michael Jackson!"

"Put one condition on all the offers we've received. Let's see who's still interested."

"What condition?"

"No questions regarding Michael Jackson's private life."

"Bwahaha! Well said, kid. That's the right move. You're not some cheap, desperate actor, Yi-siony. Besides, selling out Michael Jackson's private life for a brief spike in popularity would only poison your career in the long run."

"Exactly. Actually, I received a movie proposal from MJ's side."

"A movie...? What kind?"

"They said it's a superhero movie."

"Super... hero? Like Batman?"

"Yeah. Sounds fun, right? I'd like to give it a shot."

"...Are you sure about that? Think about the image you've built up so far. You've mostly starred in grounded, realistic works. Even though Batman Returns was a massive hit last year, superhero movies are still widely perceived as being for kids. Won't starring in something like that hurt your reputation?"

"It's fine. It's not that kind of movie."

"What movie is it?"

"I don't know yet, I haven't heard the details. Just a hunch."

"...Sigh."

"You don't have to worry so much, Charlie. Just like always."

Sion replied with a confident grin.

I do feel a bit bad for always blaming it on a hunch.

Though he played dumb in front of Charlie, the moment he heard the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠two keywords—"1993" and "superhero"—he knew exactly which movie he was being offered.

Since he couldn't reveal his knowledge as a regressor, he simply pretended to be clueless yet confident.

For now, I just need to handle my upcoming schedule well and wait for the official offer.

Sion personally believed this movie was exactly what his career needed right now.

There were two main reasons why Michael Jackson's team had proposed a new project to Sion Lee. First, they highly valued the star power he had demonstrated. Second, it served as insurance in case Sion "changed his mind" after returning to the United States.

They believed that if there was a possibility of working together, Sion wouldn't sell Michael out like the others did.

And just as they hoped, when Sion appeared on television, he gave incredibly mundane interviews, defying everyone's expectations.

The crowd went wild for the lighthearted joke that played to American pride, but that was as far as it went.

Some industry insiders reacted to Sion's behavior with skepticism.

"I guess even Sion Lee has his limits."

"Right? No matter how wild of a brat he is, I guess even he doesn't dare cross Michael Jackson."

"I thought he'd spill something interesting..."

However, the majority of those sneering and grumbling were merely paparazzi and tabloid journalists who made their living writing fabricated stories. Those who actually knew Sion Lee well evaluated his behavior differently.

"He just genuinely thinks that way."

At an industry party, when the conversation naturally drifted to the hot topic of Sion Lee, legendary Hollywood actor Jack Nicholson chuckled, swirling a glass of whiskey in his hand.

"That arrogant little bastard isn't the type to play nice or fake it for anyone, no matter who they are."

Olga Asimov also brought him up with a smile during a family dinner.

"It's quite surprising that Sion and Michael hit it off so well."

"Really? I didn't find it surprising at all."

"Oh, Elena. How intriguing. What makes you say that?"

"..."

"Ah, so there's a secret between you two that you can't share with adults. How very interesting."

Seeing Elena bite her lip and avert her eyes, Dmitry, who had been silently listening to the mother-daughter conversation from across the table, turned pale.

In this manner, every single move Sion Lee made upon his return to America was scrutinized. Naturally, people began to wonder what his next project would be.

What kind of project would he choose now that his stock had soared through his collaboration with Michael Jackson? Paparazzi, who were more sensitive than anyone to the scent of money in a scoop, swarmed and staked out Sion's house, but no information was leaked to the public.

And for good reason.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

The contract negotiations are happening strictly behind closed doors.

This deal had to be kept under wraps for "political reasons." Because of this, Sion intentionally moved only in the dead of night or the early hours of the morning to avoid the paparazzi's lenses. Sometimes, he didn't even go home after his schedules.

Tonight was no different. Sometime between late night and early morning, he slipped out the back door, got into Charlie's car, and checked into a room directly above the suite where his meeting would take place the next day. It was a route straight out of a spy thriller.

Man, I feel like I'm already filming a superhero movie.

Sion chuckled to himself and spent a peaceful night in the quiet room. The next day.

"Hello, Mr. Lee. I'm Lawrence Gordon from Castle Rock."

A middle-aged woman welcomed Sion as he entered the hotel suite with Charlie. As the co-founder of the production company Castle Rock Entertainment, she was closely connected to the major studio Warner Bros.

She primarily distributed auteur-driven films and was someone who had been fighting head-on against the rigid Hollywood studio system, which had begun to lose its luster since the 90s.

"I'm Sion Lee."

As they shook hands and sat down, a wealth of information flashed through Sion's mind. Currently, Warner Bros. was split into two major factions. One was focused on merchandising and family entertainment. The other was director-driven and focused on auteur cinema.

These two forces, with their differing business goals, were locked in a sharp conflict, and Batman Returns, released just last year, was a film that symbolized the clash between these two factions.

Originally, the Batman franchise was aimed at families. However, once a "unique" director was hired, things took a strange turn. To wash away the campy, caricatured image left by the 1966 TV series, they had brought in a director with a highly distinct worldview...

But he was a bit too unique.

Especially after the first film became a massive success, the "unique" tendencies grew even stronger in the sequel. From one perspective, it was a triumph for the auteur faction. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠However, it only intensified the internal conflict.

The merchandising department complained bitterly, asking how on earth they were supposed to make toys for kids out of this. As a result, the director who had steered the film to a decent success—though slightly underperforming compared to the first—was ousted from the director's chair.

Well, I can't say I don't understand their perspective.

He had turned Batman into a literal psychopath. On top of that, he introduced the grotesque designs of the Penguin and Catwoman in Batman Returns, which were hardly suitable for McDonald's Happy Meals, striking a bizarre chord with children somewhere between wonder and horror. No sane merchandising executive would ever look at that and be happy.

He shares a similar childlike innocence with Michael, whom I just worked with, yet his sensibility is entirely different.

But as mentioned, there were still those within Warner Bros. who championed that auteur style.

"Please understand why we have to proceed so discreetly. This is a highly sensitive matter," said Lawrence Gordon, the co-founder of Castle Rock, which was practically a subsidiary of Warner Bros.

"I don't know the details, but of course we should follow the production's lead. Actually, this is fun. It feels like a spy movie."

"Haha, I think you could easily aim to be the next James Bond, Sion."

"Unfortunately, I'm not British."

"Or maybe we could build an American spy thriller entirely around you?"

On the surface, the meeting seemed to proceed smoothly with lighthearted icebreakers. However, both parties naturally harbored different intentions.

Lawrence Gordon was thoroughly evaluating Sion Lee through his attitude and speech, while Sion was simply confirming whether his memories and expectations aligned with the reality of the situation.

As she coolly synthesized Sion's clean appearance, his aura, and his recent filmography in her mind, Lawrence offered a warm smile. She had concluded that it was safe to speak openly.

"We're thinking of making a superhero movie with a slightly darker tone. It's not that Batman Returns did poorly enough to warrant this, but it wasn't a runaway success either. Yet, Warner Bros. is already considering replacing the director... actually, they've practically decided on it."

She began to carefully lay out the situation to Sion, who, in truth, already knew everything.

"So, we are planning to bring in that ousted director to shoot a different superhero film. Due to recent events, he's lost a bit of his passion for live-action films, and he's currently working on a project that has been in production for a very long time, so negotiations might take a while, but..."

But he'll still take the job. Once that 'animation' is finished.

Armed with his knowledge of the future, Sion waited for his name to finally drop.

"Tim Burton. We're planning to give him full creative control over this movie so he can fully express his unique colors."

At last, the name of the "unique" director that made Sion decide he absolutely had to do this movie escaped her lips.