BEYOND THE CAMERA (Alien Stage)

Tailing Behind: LUKA

The camera rolled in as the lights turned on, revealing a pretty pale man with blonde hair and yellow eyes that stared elsewhere.

“Hello."

Some of the staff behind the camera stopped their sighs as Luka seemed uninterested with the recording, but Luka only crossed his legs and finally looked at the camera. Staring at it like how he stared at Ivan just minutes ago.

"I'm Luka from Tailing Behind.”

And with that, he smiled at the camera. His usual man-eating grin that everyone both loved and hated seeing.

-

When Luka was first informed that the movie had a last minute change where Ivan and Luka were each other's love interests, he never thought he'd ever even try to back out so fast. Only when Ivan confirmed on multiple occasions that he's alright with Luka being his co-star here that he relaxed a bit.

Luka would usually torment Ivan, yes, but he didn't want to get in his love life when he was the one always nudging Ivan close to Till. He had never been close to Till, but he knew that he would sever his ties with Hyuna if he did something to ruin their relationship.

So when he was asked if he would ever date Ivan, he immediately said no.

“Why do you ask? He's only my co-actor, I don't like him in a romantic sense.”

Luka said, crossing his arms and legs as the staff at the back only scratched their heads while the director only sighed. The model had to try his hardest not to roll his eyes at the moment.

"If you guys are asking that, it means I'm good at acting as his love interest, no?”

Luka said with a smile, he already knew the people would give him the praise he intended to get with that line as the cameras cut for now. They'll film again with Ivan after they film Luka's routine for the movie. Honestly, during the filming process, he didn't exactly like how cameras were shoved to his face all the time.

Compared to Ivan, who was working on other projects, he hasn't been getting lots of job offers relating to his model life so he was focused on Tailing Behind and Alien Stage content. Especially since he's also the face for both of them…which was exhausting. He had to ask for 30 minutes off just to spam text Ivan about how he's about to commit genocide if they film him trying to eat again.

Now, Luka was currently on break while a camera is watching him as he ate as tiny as possible while the camera man just asks why he's eating so little,he smiled while saying a lie with such an innocent face and voice:

“I already ate off camera, do you want it?”

The cameraman only declined as Luka tried to give him the food as he let out a huff, trying to finish it without vomiting since he really doesn't want to eat but if they show him not eating throughout his break, it'll result in theories that can drag down the company. He didn't want that, Ivan and Sua would have to go elsewhere,and how can he guarantee if they'll be in the same agency once more?

When this one is already set on not letting him go until his contract expires?

The legal case for taking all of his rightful materials would be messy as well, he might as well stay just to avoid all the conflict. He only really disliked acting, he liked photoshoots and walking on the red carpet. So who is he to complain?

“Luka, do you usually eat off camera?"

The cameraman asked and that made Luka go silent for a while. About to apologize for stepping over some boundaries, Luka suddenly answered.

“I don't like being watched when eating, it makes me not be able to savor the taste.”

Luka was pretty proud at finding an actual excuse for his dislike of being recorded doing his daily routine. Fortunately,they never record him doing his makeup, he's tedious with his makeup considering how he always plays tired looking characters.

The camera recorded Luka interacting with co-actors, going from a pretty distant person to a charmer real quick as he sugarcoated all of his words to make it believable that he is at least, a nice co-actor to be around. He doesn't mind if the fellow actresses and actors can sense the facade, all for the entertainment, right?

When the camera finally stopped rolling, Luka had to stop it within himself to sigh in relief as he thanked the cameraman and the other staff that attended him. He checked his phone and — Ah, he's late for the meeting with Ivan and Sua today.

He texted a quick apology to the two before heading out, ignoring how one of the actresses tried to call out his name once more. For what? He doesn't know, nor does he care. What stays behind closed doors will stay behind closed doors if it's Luka after all.

When he finally reached the cafe, Ivan and Sua were already receiving their order, he was about to deliver a snarky comment about them already having their drinks before him then he noticed his usual vanilla latte.

“I ordered it, just so you know."

Ivan said in a rather irritated voice but Luka could hear something else mixed into it as Sua only chuckled. Luka didn't know why he felt something about that but he repressed the genuine emotions anyway as he just gave his signature wolfish smile before sitting down next to them. Happily?- drinking his drink as Sua starts to talk about her day while Ivan complains about his concert being near and he hasn't spent much time with Till.

Luka felt like he both belonged and didn't belong. As if he was starting to contradict himself as he thought about it for a while, does he hang out with them because they're from the same agency or because they're his childhood friends? Maybe even his only friends, really. Luka never enjoyed the luxury of having true friends ever since he started his career. Everyone wanted a piece of him and he gave it to them, just that, it was never something precious to him.

He keeps his precious parts of himself hidden away, even to those who consider him as a close friend. Only one person managed to see the fragile and precious part of himself when it was in its worst state and yet…she stayed.

“Hey, Luka, are you even listening?"

Ivan's voice brought Luka back into reality as he noticed Sua intently staring at him as if something was wrong as Luka only brushed it off, saying it was a busy day and that he's just thinking about a lot of things. The two only hummed in unison, accepting his answer yet the two knew there was something hiding underneath the facade that they knew of “Luka."

Even to them, Luka would never reveal his true colors. They weren't fine with it, but if it's his own choice to keep it this way, then they can't force him. This was who Luka is, after all.