The Number One Star in the Interstellar Era

ASTRID sat down on the chair as soon as he entered his personal tent, which served as both dressing room and resting area. The space was small, barely fitting two people at once. Inside stood a folding chair that could convert into a narrow bed, a full-length mirror leaning against one wall, and a small table holding his script and water bottle.

His next scene wouldn't start for another hour, giving him time to rest. He was just about to get up and convert the chair into a bed when Ellis walked in and took a seat on the folding chair instead.

"I just received a message from Director Evans," she started, referring to the director of [Blind Justice]. "He told me that [Blind Justice] would enter its last season with the current main cast."

Astrid tilted his head. "So they're replacing the main cast?"

[Blind Justice] had been running for nearly three years now. An impressive run for a web drama. A big part of its success came from the three main leads. And now they wanted to replace them?

"Replace isn't quite the right word," Ellis corrected. "The three chose to move on to other projects."

Astrid nodded at the explanation. That made more sense. The [Blind Justice] team wouldn't just fire their three leads without reason. So it was the actors' choice to pursue other projects. He understood. The trio had already outgrown the show by this point. All three of them were already pretty high up on the [Star List]. If they wanted to climb higher on the Star List, they needed to expand their careers. And the first step was walking away from [Blind Justice].

That couldn't have been an easy decision. When he filmed that special episode with them nearly a year ago, he'd seen firsthand how much they cared about the show. So leaving must have taken serious thought and tough choices on their part.

But wait— why would Director Evans messaged Ellis about this? A sudden thought struck him.

"Did Director Evans mention bringing me in as a main cast member after Jordan and the others leave?" he asked, wanting to confirm.

He might be overthinking it, but the idea wasn't crazy. Why else would Director Evans reach out to Ellis about the show's changes? There was no reason to share that news unless he had an offer in mind. And since Astrid had already played a character in the series before, it wasn't completely out of the question.

"Not exactly," Ellis said, a small smile playing on her lips. "He did ask if you'd be willing to reprise your role for their upcoming movie. It's planned as a farewell project for the current main cast."

Oh. That surprised him. A movie? That was actually smart. It would give the three leads a proper send-off while helping them transition to films. With the show's loyal fanbase, the movie was guaranteed attention. If it succeeded, it would prove to the industry they were worth investing in.

The only issue would be the fans. Some, maybe even most, wouldn't be happy about this change. But Astrid figured if the movie gave the three a proper, satisfying ending for their characters, that should calm most complaints.

Recalling Ellis' words, he answered, "Is there a script ready? I'll need to read it before deciding."

Ellis nodded. "Director Evans already sent me the script. I read it, and the story's good in my opinion. Your character especially got more developed. Even as a supporting role, you'd still get plenty of screen time. There's just one issue, though."

Astrid raised an eyebrow. Ellis was wearing that expression she always had when she approved of a script. Yet now she said there was a problem. That was kind of intriguing.

"What's the issue?" he asked.

"Well, you might have to film a kissing scene with Jordan," she said.

Astrid blinked, not seeing the problem at first. Then it struck him like a sledgehammer. A sudden image of Wulfric's handsome face flashed in his mind. He could practically see that wounded puppy expression forming already. Yeah, now he got why Ellis considered it an issue.

Because Wulfric had been too busy stalking him during the last live viewing event, the prince never got to complain about Astrid's romantic scenes with Charlotte in [Serendipitous Summer]. But he made up for it afterward. Every video call somehow included Wulfric mentioning how Charlotte wasn't right for Astrid, all while wearing that ridiculous pout. When Astrid defended Charlotte's acting, Wulfric would instantly switch to that kicked puppy look. It was amusing, but only because it was Wulfric. Anyone else pulling that act would have annoyed him.

This went on for days. If Astrid hadn't told him to cut it out, Wulfric would've definitely kept it up even longer.

If Wulfric had acted like that over that brief CPR scene with Charlotte - which wasn't even romantic - how would he react to a real kissing scene with Jordan? Their characters' relationship guaranteed it would be a romantic kiss. Astrid could already imagine Wulfric's dramatic response. He might even have to worry about Jordan's safety.

Still, he couldn't just avoid scenes like that. He was an actor - these things came with the job. He hadn't even been in the industry a full year yet. Turning down roles over a kiss would make him look stuck up. Unless he was as big as Valentine Davis, he didn't have the luxury to be choosy. Especially over something as standard as a kissing scene.

Wulfric just had to learn to adjust.

Maybe Astrid could ease him into it, so he wouldn't have a violent reaction. But how should he do it? An idea popped into his head, making his lips curl into a playful smile. Yeah, that might work. Though it could make him seem like a tease. But Wulfric should know he'd only act that way with him, right?

Astrid could always just be upfront about his intentions. After all, even if they weren't officially together yet, they were definitely exclusive to each other.

He gave Ellis a smile. "Please send me the script. I'll read it tonight and give you my answer tomorrow."