Chapter 17.3

[BL NOVEL] Kill the Lights (Chapter 17 Part 3)

Kill the Lights by Jangryang

Proofreader/Editor: Kaima, Hwarang

‘Haley Lusk, saved by Noah’

Is a new Hollywood couple born? It is true that the story of a young lady dirty with ashes in love with the prince is a symbol of dreams and hopes in many people’s hearts, but the actual reproduction is not so beautiful.

“Today (19th) 10 AM: There was no space because of the reporters waiting in front of Haley Lusk’s house, but a helicopter bearing the Raycarlton family symbol, made a shadow on top of everyone’s head and surprisingly….?”

“… This picture is editorial, almost.”

Chase said while checking an Internet article on his tablet PC. Mason, who was taking off his make-up, glanced at the picture that he showed.

He was climbing on the helicopter holding Noah’s hand and was displaying a charming smile towards the camera. It was a little bit mysteriously bragging expression.

“The picture is taken very exquisitely.”

Because of Noah’s thoughtless actions, Mason was annoyed during the whole visit, but he briefly caught sight of Milo’s expression, which was funny, and Mason had smiled. And that smile had unfortunately appeared in the picture.

“It’s a natural liking face, why?”

Ashton, the supporting actor who was passing by, interfered, and Mason said, “The situation was hard to be unnatural,” and took out the black colored contacts out of his eyes.

Mason’s new role was that of a villain who had a very bad relationship with the main character. It seemed like he was going to sidle with the main character in the end, but he still confronted the main character during the whole movie.

Tony’s expression looked worried about Haley. He was worried that Haley might not want to do the role because it was a villain role, but actually Mason felt comfortable playing the villain. He wasn’t a kind man from the start, and he didn’t like pretending to be kind.

The role that Chase chose was a personality that Mason hated the most. An inflexible type, who was kind and ethical, and no matter what the situation was, only says the right thing. In reality, Chase wasn’t that inflexible, but he fits the role.

“Haley, are you dating Mr. Raycarlton, really?”

Ashton asked, “That’s not true, right?” like he couldn’t believe it.

“What do you think? Do you think we are dating?”

Mason closed the contact lenses case and asked while giving it to the person who was in charge of the props. Ashton laughed.

“I don’t think you guys are dating, honestly. You know, he’s ‘Raynoah’ afterall?”

“Him, and you?” Ashton scanned Mason from head to toe and laughed a little rudely, and Chase glanced at Ashton and said.

“I don’t think like that. I don’t think there’s anything weird about Mr. Raycarlton and Haley dating and…”

“No way, honestly man, it really is weird.”

Ashton asked Gloria, who was passing by, “Don’t you think so, Gloria?”

“No well, that…- Mr. Raycarlton hasn’t had any past scandals and despite his popularity, he doesn’t appear in the media a lot. So it’s a little….”

It seemed like she was paying attention to this side also because she carefully expressed her opinion.

“Why? That man has completely fallen for Haley.”

It seemed like Vick was free for the moment from filming and decided to interfere. Vick interjected saying that Noah saw Haley’s awesome side and no way that he wouldn’t fall for him.

Ashton replied, “No way, Director,” waving his hands as if to calm him down. Like to say something reasonable.

“But if that’s not it, why did he ask Haley for a date in front of all the reporters, almost like bragging?”

“That, well…. Wait, Director, then are you saying that, that person truly loves Haley?”

Vick shrugged his shoulders and said, “Doesn’t men want to spread the word around when they are in love?” standing next to Chase.

“Putting Mr. Noah Raycarlton in the normal ‘men’ category is bound to break all women’s fantasies.”

Another supporting actress, Lizzie, interfered. Because of his role, Mason had dyed his hair black this morning. He placed a hat on the top and glanced at his crew talking from the sideline like a spectator.

“Aren’t you guys being rude? Haley’s a nice person. A person that can date anyone who gets enough respect,” Chase told everybody, and once again someone else interjected.

“But Haley, didn’t he get turned down by Mr. Raycarlton last time already?”

“He wasn’t turned down. It was no comments.”

“That is same thing as that, but think logically!”

“But logically, if they are not dating, why would Mr. Raycarlton do that? The one who asked for a date was not Haley but the other person.”

“No well, for whatever reason, rather than ‘like’…”

“What are you talking about, right to his face?”

“Now, now, Chase, calm down.” Vick stopped Chase, and Tony, who came running too late, asked, “What’s going on?” to Mason. Mason shrugged his shoulders and gestured that he doesn’t know.

“Chase, did you let Haley borrow some money? Or perhaps you like Haley?”

Ashton got mad and asked while quibbling over, and Chase confidently replied, “Of course, I like him. How can you hate someone like him?” Ashton’s face creased.

“You guys don’t look good together either!”

Even if not like “holier than thou” Noah, Chase Miller was an amazing actor who got paid in dozens of million dollars for each movie. He was healthy, responsible, and behaved gentleman-like to everyone. It meant that he wouldn’t look good with someone like Haley who had a slutty image.

“Hey Ashton, watch your mouth.” Vick stopped him, and Tony, who started to interfere at some point, agreed and said, “Yes, you’re being too harsh.” Ashton’s words, even if not wrong, were too harsh.

While people gathered and chatted loudly, Mason thanked and said goodbye to the person in charge of props and the person in charge of makeup.

“They are not dating. There’s no way.”

“If they are not dating, then why would he say something like that?”

“Even if they are dating, they would do it secretly. Why would he openly say that? What’s there to brag about? It should be because they are not-“

While people were debating among themselves, Mason looked for a chance to ask if he could go home.

“Um… it looks like my parts are finished, can I get going?”

Mason went behind Gloria and asked carefully, and people, who were chatting loudly, stopped and all stared at him. They seemed to realize, how useless it was to debate in front of the person concerned.

“So…. How is it? With Mr. Raycarlton.”

“Are you guys going out?” This time too, Vick bit the bullet and asked. Everyone focused on Mason’s mouth, at what he was going to say, with eagle eyes. Mason shrugged and simply said–

“No. We are not going out. Why would he go out with me?”

Mason glanced at Ashton with a placid expression, and he tactlessly agreed, “That’s what I’m saying!” Vick and Chase frowned at him, but Ashton looked confident that he was right.

“Then why would Mr. Raycarlton act like that? Asking for a date and even drop you off this morning.”

That morning, everyone gave up on Haley making it on time and were talking about filming the next scene, when suddenly someone said, ‘They’re saying that the garden in Haley’s mansion was attacked?’ They showed a picture of the destroyed garden on his phone. At the same moment, a helicopter flew over the top of their heads.

It didn’t even ask for permission and landed on the helipad in the filming set. The doors opened and from inside, Haley exited with an apathetic and unsatisfied expression. On the other hand, Noah had a bright and sweet smile.

“Of course, I don’t know why Mr. Raycarlton behaves like that towards me.”

His goal might be to try and make his life harder because he didn’t like him so much. –Mason remembered the destroyed garden from that morning and mumbled. Vick asked, “Huh? What did you say?” and Mason just shrugged his shoulders.

“Anyway we are not dating or something.”

Mason said firmly and turned back and asked Gloria again, “My schedule ended, right?”

“Today’s schedule ended after that scene. You may go back, Haley.”

Gloria checked the PDA* (Personal Digital Assistant) and looked at Mason with still a curious expression, but Mason simply said, “Then I’ll go back,” and said bye to Vick and everybody. People, who were all heated up by the debate, reacted lukewarm. ‘Of course,’ and ‘…Really?’ and scattered or remained roaming around.

“Since you are done with your work, should we go drink at a pub? I know a good pub nearby. They have a lot of non-alcoholic beverages.”

Chase seemed like he wanted to make Mason, who heard some bad things in the crowd, feel better and asked kindly.

“Ah, I want to, but I have to move my house today, so I can’t be late.”

“Are you moving? To where?”

“No, not moving exactly. I’m just going to stay at another person’s house for a while…”

‘Now that I think about it, do I really have to tell Tony that I’m staying at Noah’s house?’ Mason stared at Tony who was packing the props.

“Are you staying at a friend’s house because of the paparazzi? Is it nearby?”

Chase meant to ask if it wasn’t hard going back and forth, and Mason dragged the words, “Not sure….” Noah probably had more than one or two houses, and maybe he was going to lend him an entire house near the filming set, but he wasn’t sure where that would be. Only thing Mason knew was that, it would have a helipad.

Ashton, who was looking around the area said, ‘Wow,’ and got a little excited.

“Haley, the paparazzi are covering the whole front and back of the filming set. It’s even more than when Natalie Kisse announced that she’s going to give birth to a politician’s illegitimate child.”

“Oh my! Seems like, more of them are gathered now because of what happened this morning. You have a shooting tomorrow in the morning too; do you think it’ll be okay? We can give you a place to sleep on the set….”

Gloria asked with worry, and Chase came forward, “Then,”

“If your friend’s house is far, how about staying in a hotel or staying at my house?”

Chase seemed to make the offer on an impulse, but soon he made it sound like he had a good idea.

“Yeah. I have an empty room, and it’s very close to the filming set, so it’ll be easy for you to go back and forth.”

“We can learn shooting together and talk about movies….” –Chase said a little excitedly, “Let’s drink beer together, handle some guns and watch movies together”. At his expression of expecting to have a good friend whom he could play men’s game with, Vick, who was sitting down on a chair, stood up quickly and said, “What, wait.”

“Are you two gonna stay together right now? Perhaps… it’s not like you guys are gonna watch Die Hard series together, is it?”

“If I press our DVD player’s button, Bruce Willis’s face will appear.”

“….Is it one or two?”

“From one to four, it plays in order.”

Chase sounded like it was obvious, and suddenly Vick said with an impatient face.

“… I have something important to talk about this movie, today, and it should be the three of us.”

When he asked if he could join them too, Chase glanced at Vick with a thoughtful expression. At Chase’s calculating stare, whether it was suitable to invite another member for their men’s night together or not, Vick straightened his shoulders and tried to look good to him.

“Three of you guys are gonna hang out today? Can I come too?”

“Sorry, but I only have three rooms.”

When Ashton tried to join, Chase firmly rejected him. When Vick heard he has only three rooms, he wore a triumphant expression, and Ashton felt let down.

“How is it, Haley? If you are okay, how about staying at my place until the movie ends? You like Die Hard, right?”

Chase’s eyes were sparkling at the prospect of binge watching Die Hard 1, 2, 3 & 4 starting today –Mason smiled, crinkling his lips a little. He didn’t really watch any movies or dramas but had watched that movie before. He didn’t remember which series it was, but a long time ago, a subordinate, who just became a mercenary, said it was his favorite movie and played it during a free time on a mission. The FBI were idiots, the SWAT were little girls, and LAPD were dimwits. The main character survived way too long, and it was an unbelievably exaggerated movie. Watching that series not once but four times? Vick and Chase were excited, with their eyes sparkling at the prospect of watching the movies all night, drinking beer and eating hot wings.

Mason didn’t feel comfortable staying at Noah’s place. It’ll only get worse if there was a living together rumor, and it wasn’t good for Noah’s image. Maybe it was a better choice to stay at Chase’s place but….

“What do you say? If the two of us drive in the front and Haley covers himself with a blanket at the back seat, I think we can get out easily.”

Chase, who was the main character in countless action movies, said excitedly, and Vick asked pointing towards Mason, “Isn’t it an open car? Won’t we get caught? How about a trunk? I think that’ll be alright?”

“I’m not sure. I don’t think it’s a good…..”

Mason answered with a sigh. For Chase and Vick, it was a fun adventure, but to Mason, who had to continue his life by doing that, wasn’t a joke. The trunk is a cramped space, dark and will shake like crazy; so it was a good place to give a ride to someone you wanted to fuck with, not a place you willingly get into.

If he thought rationally, staying at Chase’s house was better, but when he saw Chase’s and Vick’s sparkling eyes, Mason automatically felt tired. With Haley’s sucking stamina, being bothered by the paparazzi, filming a movie with action scenes, and watching Die Hard, all four series continuously, all night– Just the thought of it made him depressed.

“Is the trunk too much? Why? I think it’ll be fine?”

“I completely don’t think it’ll be fine.”

The one who answered Vick wasn’t Mason.

“Cramped, dark, and shaky…. It’s neither thrilling nor fun. And it’ll be embarrassing if it gets known in the media.”

Mason turned around at the languid voice behind him. No one knew when he’d started to listen. Noah was walking towards them with a bright smile on his face.

“Rather than that, isn’t a helicopter much better?”

Looking at the expressions of discomfort, Noah stood right next to Mason and asked.

“(Gasp) Mr. Raycarlton?”

“How, how did he get here….?” Noah’s sudden appearance stirred up the filming set and Vick simply stared wide-eyed. Producer Gloria was running from a distance with a desperate face, and Mason was scratching his cheek.

“I don’t think I called you yet.”

Didn’t he say call him after I’m finished? If he gets all the attention every time he appears, it’ll be too much. Noah said, “That’s true but,” and smiled perplexedly at Mason’s question.

“I thought other people were going to snatch you away like this.”

Noah meaningfully glanced at Chase and Vick. The stare clearly had the desperation and jealousy of a young man, who fell in love. Vick was surprised and scurried to make an excuse.

“Ah, um, the place you were going to stay at was Mr. Raycarlton’s? Oh no, you should’ve said so! We didn’t know and acted dimwittedly-”

“That’s right. We almost acted dumbly.”

“Hahaha”, Chase laughed awkwardly, and Vick laughed saying, “Hahaha, Die Hard….” His voice was full of disappointment, but Vick acted like he was okay, “Yeah. The helicopter will be better than a trunk. Of course, yes.”

“Haley, are you staying at Mr. Raycarlton’s house? Didn’t you say you guys are not dating?”

Ashton, who was quietly standing on the side after getting rejected by Chase for the men’s night, asked a little bit puzzled at Noah’s appearance. Noah stared at Mason as if asking, ‘Did you say that?’

“…..”

Mason rolled his eyes and looked around the hall full of stares. The atmosphere wasn’t very good to say ‘It’s true though.’

“We aren’t dating, indeed.”

Instead of Mason, Noah answered. He observed Mason appearing a little perplexed and had replied.

“Of course, I want to be in that relationship though.”

He added in an incoherent mumble, but everyone on the spot clearly heard Noah’s voice. Even Mason.

“…..”

“….”

“….. …..”

People stared at Mason like they didn’t know what to say, but even if it was him, there was no way he had something to say at that situation. To say, ‘What are you doing, are you crazy?’ or ‘Ah, that’s a funny joke,” or ‘Are you playing with me?’ the timing was little off.

“Ah, shall we go now? You are tired, right?”

Noah, who looked at Mason gently, asked in a caring voice.

“…Yes, I really am.”

Really. A lot. –When Mason answered, Noah said he had parked the helicopter nearby and took hold of him.

“…. Chase, you said you have three rooms right?”

After the two left, a long time after, Ashton asked again, and Chase stared at where Mason had disappeared and replied–

“…. Now that I think about it, the DVD player is broken.”

Vick and Chase had disappointed faces and droopy shoulders and went back to their own houses.

That day, the men’s night didn’t happen.

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