Minra’s heart was pounding.

Every eye was on her.

Every second stretched too long, too heavy.

She shouldn’t have said anything.

But now—now she had no choice.

She had to answer.

But not the truth.

Never the truth.

So she swallowed hard, forcing herself to stay calm, detached.

And then—she lied.

“I… how would I know?”

Her voice was steady, but not too steady.

Like someone who was nervous about speaking, not someone hiding something.

“I’m just a crew assistant.”

She shrugged, trying to make it seem casual, unimportant.

“I just… pointed it out because I felt that it was wrong… that’s all.”

A simple lie.

An effective one.

One that should have been enough to put her back in the background.

The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

And it worked.

Everyone bought it.

The director sighed, already turning back to his screen.

The staff lost interest.

Even the lead actor—who had been waiting for a fight—dropped his tense shoulders and looked away.

Crisis avoided.

…Except for one person.

Shuun.

Who was still watching her.

.

His eyes hadn’t left her.

Not for a second.

And that was when Minra knew.

He didn’t believe a word she just said.

She had lied perfectly.

But Shuun?

Shuun saw right through it.

Minra’s stomach tightened.

Would he call her out?

Would he push further?

Would he make her say more than she should?

For a second—just one second—she thought he might.

But then—

Shuun smirked.

And said—

“Fair enough.”

Minra’s breath hitched.

Because she knew.

That wasn’t acceptance.

That was him letting her think she had won.

And somehow—that was even worse.

.

Shuun turned away, stretching his shoulders slightly, before calling out to the crew.

“Alright, let’s go again.”

The set reset. The cameras rolled.

Minra held her breath.

And this time—Shuun delivered the scene perfectly.

Too perfectly.

His voice carried every ounce of controlled tension.

His expression shifted with precise, natural intensity.

His presence commanded the moment, pulling everyone in like a gravitational force.

By the time the scene ended—

The set was silent.

Not because they were unsure.

But because everyone was stunned.

The director exhaled in relief. “Cut! That’s the one!”

And then—

The whispers started.

“Was it really Shuun making mistakes earlier?”

“There’s no way—look at that take. It was flawless.”

“Maybe it was the other actor messing up?”

“Yeah… maybe it wasn’t even his fault.”

Minra clenched her jaw.

Because she knew the truth.

The mistakes had been deliberate.

Shuun had been testing her.

And now, with this one perfect take, he had erased any doubt that he had ever made a mistake at all.

And her?

She was the only one who knew the difference.

.

Shuun stretched lazily, rolling his shoulders as he walked off set.

He passed Minra without looking at her.

But just as he moved by, he murmured—low, casual, only for her.

“Good call.”

Minra’s breath caught.

Because it was mocking.

Not cruel.

Not mean.

But knowing.

Like he was acknowledging her insight.

Like he was reminding her that he knew she wasn’t just guessing.

Like he was telling her that this wasn’t over.

Minra exhaled sharply, gripping her clipboard harder.

Damn him.

He wasn’t just testing her.

He was playing with her now.

And worse?

She had no idea how to win this game.

.

Chapter 8: The One Who Tries to Avoid Him