Chapter 18.1
All staff members were watching Mason, holding their breath.
Mason, who had entered the storage facility, looked completely different; black suit, dark hair and eyes, and a frighteningly indifferent expression. It didn’t feel weird to call him an actual agent working for a secret organization.
A rustling sound could be heard from inside and Mason’s sharp eyes slowly scanned the area. Chase, who was hiding inside the storage, held his breath when he heard the footsteps coming closer.
The sound of shoe heels stepping on the ground was especially loud. The footstep echoed from the isle next where Chase was hiding, and that moment–
A small vibrating sound rang through the quiet storage. Mason frowned and took out his cellphone to answer the call.
“…-No, wait outside a little longer. I think a rat had snuck in.”
He said lowly and walked a few more steps.
“I don’t know where it is except it is still inside.”
Chase stiffened and swallowed at the footsteps sounding very close to him. A woman’s voice could be heard from Mason’s phone, [Do you need backup?] Mason laughed lightly.
“No.”
Chase rolled his eyes as if thinking, ‘Should I rush out and attack the opponent now?’ and suddenly his eyes stilled.
Click, a cold sound echoed through the still air.
“…….”
Chase slowly turned his head. Mason was looking down at him from above with a cold expression.
“…. Have you ever seen me miss a rodent?”
Mason replied indifferently and cut off his cellphone. Chase stared at him even as his breathing stopped.
***
“–CUT!”
Vick shouted with a very satisfied face. Mason raised his head, and Chase wiped his sweat and panted. Mason held out his hand so that it was easier for him to stand up.
“Prepare for the next scene right away! We are starting in 5 minutes!”
Gloria and the staff prepared the next scene and put together a series of breakdowns.
“Ah, I really felt like I got caught while hiding.”
Chase showed the goose bumps on his arm and Mason laughed appropriately. Chase drank something that Tony had given him and cautiously added–
“Yesterday-… I’m really sorry. I didn’t know you were going to Mr. Raycarlton’s house and acted so recklessly.”
“Ah. No, thank you… For even saying that.”
If he didn’t say let’s watch Die Hard, all four series in a row, he would probably have gone to his house. In fact, Mason was a bit regretful now.
<<
‘If I know you aren't Haley Lusk…., what are you gonna do?’
When Noah whispered, Mason’s head stopped for a second. When he had asked ‘why are you doing this to me,’ he had no idea at all that he’ll get, ‘I know who you are,’ as an answer.
‘Are you crazy?’
Mason hid his complicated thoughts and asked. Noah tilted his head like he was puzzled, and stepped back and smiled.
‘You speak like you didn’t know.’
Noah said, 'Didn't you see me shivering in the elevator,' like a joke. Mason called him, ‘Mr. Raycarlton.’
‘You are not serious, right? I’m not Haley Lusk?’
Mason pointed at himself with his finger. However you see it, he was Haley Lusk; there was no denying it. He may have dyed his hair for the moment so it was not blond, but the pale face, well-rounded eyebrows, skinny and tall appearance, and also the beautiful hands; there was nowhere that wasn’t Haley Lusk.
But Noah replied as if he was wondering–
‘Why? You don’t yourself think that you are hiding it properly?’
‘You did not even try too hard to hide, didn't you?’ –Noah pointed out to look at himself.
‘……’
What Noah said wasn’t wrong. He himself thought he was totally different from Haley. He didn’t go to the clubs, do drugs or drink alcohol. He wore clothes that Haley won’t even look at and kicked out Haley’s relatives and cut his ties off with his junky friends.
In fact, he did not plan on living as Haley Lusk. From the beginning, Mason thought he was going to start a new life and not be loutish like Haley. He may have accidentally ended up filming a movie, but he still had the dream of starting his own café and living in ease.
‘Hiding or not-…. I really don’t know what you are talking about.’
Mason said while looking a little annoyed.
‘Usually, don’t people think that the person’s personality has changed? You are really imaginative. –Well, are you saying that I killed Haley, underwent plastic surgery and is now acting like him?’
‘Like in a movie?‘ –When Mason questioned, Noah smiled strangely instead of answering him.
‘Yesterday and today, did you act weirdly because of that reason? Because I seemed like a different person?’
Mason scratched his head saying, ‘I really don’t know what’s going on.’
‘I really don’t know how that can be the reason. I’m just an amnesiac.’
‘Ever since I died and came back to life, I have been trying to live properly.’ –Mason sounded perplexed and Noah smiled like he expected that answer.
‘You talk too much. Though there was no need.’
Noah turned around and walked towards the helicopter.
‘Don’t be scared. I didn’t say that to scare you. I just answered since you were curious about why I’m acting like this.’
He said airily as if nothing had happened.
‘Don’t think too much. –It would indeed be nice, to continue pretending that you don’t understand.’
Mason stared at Noah’s back. Several dozen steps ahead, Phil was waiting for them inside the helicopter. Noah walked up to the helicopter and turned back to look at Mason, who was still standing at the same spot.
‘…..’
Mason stared at Noah. The glow was darker than a while ago. Mason looked back towards the filming set.
He was sure Noah knew something. He wasn’t sure how much, but it wouldn’t be weird if he knew everything. He had met him before at his house, and sometimes he had made a crap out of himself.
Working as a mercenary, Mason had learned while walking into a life-or-death crisis that if he didn’t feel good about something, it was best to cut the tail right away and run away. Nothing could possibly go wrong, but he thought turning around right now and running away could be his last chance to lead a peaceful life.
‘…….’
When he turned around again, he caught Noah staring at his profile. He didn’t say, ‘Come here or hurry up’. He just pressed his lips together and stared at him.
Exactly like the stare he gave him when Mason had quit the bodyguard job ten years ago.
<<
“… I shouldn’t have gone to that side…”
Mason mumbled, and Chase asked, “Pardon?” Mason shook his hand to denote it was nothing.
Yesterday, Mason thought it would be dangerous of him to follow Noah, but he got on the helicopter anyway. He didn’t know anything yet, and it wasn’t easy to throw away everything and run away in that situation. Especially when it was nearly impossible to cut through all the paparazzi that were surrounding the area. It wasn’t as if he couldn’t do it if he wanted to, but it wouldn’t be easy.
And……., his feet didn’t move for a second. Just like 10 years ago, when he’d left Noah and the mansion behind.
Ten years ago, Mason wasn’t in his right mind. It was right after he’d lost his wife and daughter and had chopped off the murderer, who had killed them both, into pieces. He had lost everything, but the revenge ended too quickly. The only thing Mason could do at that time was to either destroy himself or destroy someone else.
Mason was about to leave for Afghanistan when he got an opportunity to work as a bodyguard for a month. That’s how he met Noah again; the small child he once saved in a dirty restroom.
The one-month passed very fast. Ziii and Noah’s parents offered an extension, but Mason firmly rejected it. Because, in that one month when he was taking care of Noah, Mason had forgotten about his dead wife and child.
Mason had grown weak towards that beautiful boy. He wasn’t his family or a lover, but he wanted to take care of him and pat him. When he saw him sweating from having nightmares, his hand unconsciously reached out to him. When he wiped the sweat and brushed his hair, Noah had quietly opened his eyes and soon went back to sleep with relief, which had felt good. The fact that Mason can be someone else’s comfort, gave him comfort, but it soon turned into guilt. Later, he would forget about his wife and child and move on with his life, but it was too early then. He felt like he should be sadder and more in pain.
It was easy to decide to quit the bodyguard job, but it was not as easy to say goodbye to Noah when the actual time came. He said goodbye and left the room and as he walked down the second and first floor stairs, and finally left the mansion, passing by the garden, his steps grew heavier and harder.
He was not the only person who could protect Noah; there were probably plenty of people who wanted to protect him. –He knew it rationally, but Mason felt like the 17-year-old Noah was still the seven year old kid, who held his clothes asking not to leave.
‘An existence that could die if he leaves.’ –Well, it was a thought if Noah finds out, he might not only laugh but also get angry, but back then that’s how he felt.
And now Noah was not 17, but 27 years old, and he was not only healthy but also threatening Mason’s peace and happiness. But yesterday, in front of the helicopter, Mason had felt like he had travelled back to 10, 20 years ago.
“That stare probably didn’t hold such a profound meaning.”
Mason murmured blandly. Not sure about 20 years ago, but neither 10 years ago nor yesterday, it was not Noah who held him back. There was no plausible reason, and it wasn’t a delicate situation. But somehow he felt sure and suddenly felt pitiful towards Noah. Mason couldn’t understand why at that moment he had such an absurd thought.
“Haley? Are you okay?”
Chase probably thought that Mason was being weird, mumbling to himself.
“Ah, I don’t feel well today. I think I’ll be fine if I take a break for a moment.”
Mason just wanted to quietly think by himself, but Chase looked worried. He looked around and gently asked him–
“Perhaps… Are you having a hard time because of those people?”
“Huh?”
“Those anti-fans or prejudiced people that like Mr. Raycarlton-… Everyone is making a fuss, so it’s obvious that you are having a hard time. But still, it’ll calm down soon.”
“The truth always works.” Chase proclaimed seriously. Mason just stared at him like what was this man talking about, and at that moment his phone rang.
[Die, you slut -666]
When he checked, there was a curse waiting in his inbox that arrived through an anonymous number. [Break up with Noah immediately] [A bitch like you would even sleep with his dad.] The messages kept coming, so fast that he couldn’t keep up.
“Oh, oh my gosh. How can this happen! Haley, erase those immediately! No, let’s track the numbers and report them!”
Chase, who read the messages along with him, got really mad and Mason chuckled and moved his finger and turned off his cellphone. ‘666,’ it was so cute that it was idiotic. The part where it talked about sleeping with his dad was sensitive enough to think about Haley’s sexuality.
“Never mind that. Why go so far as to track them just for these.”
It was okay to change the phone number or live without a phone for a while. He was receiving information about the movies through Tony anyway, and it wasn’t like he had any friends.
Mason looked around to find Tony crouching at a corner of the filming set holding his phone. Since he couldn’t get used to living comfortably because of Haley’s amnesia, Tony had been volunteering for the crew. Even today, it seemed like he was carrying something in a box that was lying in front of his knees.
His expression looked weird though and as he approached him, Tony started hiccupping with a pale face. Curse words were coming out of the phone he was holding.
“Hiccup, hiccup.”
Mason took away the phone from Tony’s sweaty hand and pressed the ‘end call’ button.
“Li, Liz?”
“Why were you listening to this?”
“You could’ve just hung up.” Mason looked at him with exasperation as Tony wiped his cold sweat.
“I’m, I’m okay!”
“Of course you’re okay. You don’t have any injuries.”
Mason sounded normal and so, Tony wiped his sweat and said, “Ah, ri, right…?” as he smiled awkwardly. He was so scared that he was about to have a heart attack, but since Haley acted indifferently, now he just felt embarrassed and also a bit relieved. Mason handed Tony a drink that he had been carrying, and Tony was so thirsty that he gulped it down.
“Did you receive a lot of these calls?”
Mason held up Tony’s cellphone, which was ringing again. Tony, who drank like something was stuck in this throat, carefully looked at Mason and replied–
“Ah, since yesterday, all of a sudden…. You had a lot of anti-fans before, but they didn’t directly curse or threaten like this-, uh, what should we do? Should we call the police?”
“Liz, they were keep saying they are gonna terrorize you…” Tony took another gulp like his lips were parched.
“A terror threat, isn’t it better to report?”
Chase said with a serious face, and Mason thought about it for a moment too. Threatening to terrorize, it definitely might not be something to be ignored. It wasn't a battlefield where bullets and bombs were flying around, but a person can easily get killed with just a knife. There were a lot of celebrities who got murdered by their anti-fans or stalkers.
“Is the harasser just one person? Do you suspect someone who might have leaked your number?”
“Not sure, we are using the phone number as the company’s contact number…. We put up the number on Facebook…”
Tony said hesitantly and Mason frowned slightly as he stared at the cellphone. He answered the phone that kept ringing and Tony, surprised, blurted out, “Liz!”
[Did you pass my word well? I can fucking burry a bitch like Haley any time.]
Mason frowned at the voice coming through the cellphone. It was a young voice, may be a middle school or a high school student. He hung up and when he answered another call that came right away, the voice was thin and that of a woman; [Is this Haley’s company? I’m Noah’s lover. Because of Haley, I’m in a difficult situation now, did you know?]
“……”
The next call was a parent complaining about how Noah and Haley’s scandal was not good for children’s education.
Mason hung up the third call and looked at Tony.
“First change the phone number.”
“Change the phone number? What if a new job offer comes, like advertising? What if we miss the job because they couldn’t contact us?”
“Who knows? Do you think we will get a new job in this situation?”
“I don’t think so?” Mason cut him short. Every time he went to the filming set, reporters and paparazzi were swarming it. Going to work and coming back home was only possible in a helicopter. Forget about getting a new job, as a celebrity who was disliked and got terror threats he might even get fired from the current job.
“Bu, but, I keep getting calls from reporters as well. If I don’t answer, they might get mad and write some weird articles.”
“Don’t worry. They will write weird articles even if you answer the calls."
Mason shook his hand telling him not to worry. Tony still looked nervous, but Mason patted his shoulder saying, “If you get a new number, send me a text.”
“Don’t search the Internet and get hurt and don’t care if you hear a curse. It’s not like your ears hurt from hearing curse words.”
He seemed like a timid man, if he cared too much about every single incident, tomorrow an article heading, ‘Haley Lusk, just like how he did, his manager today was also rushed to hospital for a heart attack…” might pop out.
“Yeah, I will…..”
Tony answered with a glum and listless face, and Chase said smiling bitterly, “That’s what my manager always says.” Tony, who was the biggest fan, asked in surprise–
“Oh my, Mr. Chase Viller has anti-fans?”
“That…. Yeah, they said my smile makes them unpleasant…”
“Is it really true?” Chase asked him inwardly, and Tony said, “No way!” and jumped. Mason, who originally thought when they first met that Chase felt a little unpleasant, slightly avoided his eyes.
“Anyway I don’t think that the threats right now mean anything, but also let’s not rush into reporting to the police or hiring a bodyguard issue.”
Since he was going back and forth, riding a helicopter with Noah, he didn’t necessarily need more guards. And reporting to the police was the same as blabbering to the media that he is getting terror threats, and that wouldn't be fun.
“Are you okay, Liz?”
Tony asked, wondering how Haley could look so indifferent when before, he would throw a fit and cry at even a single mean comment. Chase also looked worried, and Mason glanced at his surroundings.
“Well….”
Definitely, except for Vick, Gloria, and Chase, other people’s stares weren’t pleasant. It was just like when he got dragged into the filming set of ‘Clue.’ Of course, compared to back then he now noticed more complicated and subtle but dangerous emotions like jealousy or envy.
“I’m okay. Anyway, it’s not like I can do anything.”
The one who started the game was Noah, and the one who was moving the pieces was also Noah. He didn’t know what he wanted, but what Mason could do was film the movie as best as he could. Surviving efficiently as possible in a game that someone else started was very similar as to what Mason did in the past.
“You are brave, really.”
Chase said in amazement, and Mason just shrugged. Rather than being strong, he was just too lazy to think too deeply, but he didn’t say that out loud.
“But Haley, are you gonna change your number too?”
“What’s going to be your new number?” Chase asked nervously, as if expecting Mason to tell him his new number.
“Ah. No. I am going to change it, but I have a call that I’m waiting for, so not right….“
Mason said, ‘now that I remember…’ He took out his cellphone from his pocket and turned on the power. Messages and missed calls poured in, and Mason uselessly thought ‘I feel like I am popular now,’ and checked the numbers. 666, 0000, 13, he saw the number he had been waiting for among the anonymous curses. It was Mason’s old colleague and a private detective, Pitzroy’s number.
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Whew that was long! Glad we could upload this on time!