Behind the Spotlight

Chapter 1: The Casting Shock

The bustling noise of the casting office echoed through the walls as Pond leaned back in his chair, scrolling aimlessly through his phone. The air was thick with the hum of excitement; everyone was waiting to hear which actors had snagged the lead roles in the latest series—a high-profile BL drama that had fans buzzing. The production was expected to be huge, and the right casting could make or break it.

He had worked in the industry long enough to know when something had the potential to explode, and this drama was one of those. He wasn’t exactly nervous, but the anticipation clawed at him. He liked having control, knowing what to expect. Surprises? Not his thing.

“Pond, you're up!” The assistant director called his name, pulling him from his thoughts.

He pocketed his phone and stood, adjusting his denim jacket as he walked down the narrow hallway toward the director’s office. His long strides were confident—perhaps too confident for someone who hadn’t even been told the results yet. But Pond wasn’t one to be rattled easily.

As soon as he stepped inside, he spotted P’Dew, the director of the show, sitting at the long, rectangular table. Across from him sat Phuwin, his long-time rival—at least, that’s how Pond liked to think of him. Phuwin was staring intently at his own phone, and the second he glanced up, their eyes met.

Of course, he would be here. Pond felt a knot of irritation twist in his stomach.

“Ah, Pond, you’re here. Good, good. Please sit,” P’Dew motioned to the empty seat next to Phuwin.

Great. Next to him.

Pond silently took his place, forcing a polite smile as he slid into the chair. The room felt smaller suddenly, the tension between them practically suffocating. He wasn't sure what it was about Phuwin that rubbed him the wrong way. Maybe it was how effortlessly charming the guy was, always with that quiet, almost mysterious aura around him that seemed to make everyone swoon. Or maybe it was because Phuwin had a reputation for being annoyingly talented—good at everything he did, never breaking a sweat.

“Well, we’ve made our decision,” P’Dew began, oblivious to the silent battle of wills happening across the table. He slid two thick scripts across to them. “Congratulations, you two are our leads.”

Pond froze. He blinked once, twice, before letting out a disbelieving laugh. “Sorry, what?”

Phuwin, on the other hand, didn’t seem the least bit surprised. He simply raised an eyebrow and looked at Pond with a knowing smirk that made his blood boil.

“You heard me correctly. Pond, Phuwin—congratulations. You’ll be starring together in the new series, Always Yours. The chemistry test between you two was undeniable.”

Pond’s mind raced. Undeniable? Had they been watching the same screen test? Sure, they’d done the lines together, but he remembered Phuwin constantly correcting him during practice, like some self-righteous know-it-all.

The idea of spending months on set with Phuwin was almost unbearable.

“So, what do you think?” P’Dew asked, breaking the silence.

Pond forced a smile, his mind still reeling. “I’m honored, P’Dew. Really. It’s just, uh…” He glanced at Phuwin, who was watching him with an amused expression. “It’s just that I didn’t expect to be paired with… him.”

Phuwin let out a small, almost inaudible chuckle. “Neither did I.”

Pond shot him a glare. The last thing he needed was for Phuwin to think this was some sort of victory.

“Look, I know you two come from different acting styles,” P’Dew said, picking up on the tension, “but that’s what makes it work. You complement each other on screen. Trust me, by the time we start filming, you’ll see what I mean.”

Pond leaned back in his chair, running a hand through his hair. “Yeah, sure. We’ll see.”

Phuwin stayed silent but gave a slow nod, as if unfazed by the situation. If anything, he seemed slightly amused by Pond’s reaction, which only irritated him more.

“Alright, that’s settled then. I’ll have the shooting schedule sent over to your managers,” P’Dew said, standing up to shake their hands.

Pond forced himself to stand and shake the director’s hand, all while keeping his face as neutral as possible. When he turned to leave, Phuwin stood up as well, his calm and collected presence making Pond feel strangely off balance.

As they left the office and headed toward the exit, the silence between them felt heavy. Pond stuffed his hands in his pockets, his jaw clenched, resisting the urge to say something snarky. He wasn’t going to give Phuwin the satisfaction of seeing him rattled.

“Looks like we’ll be spending a lot of time together,” Phuwin said casually, breaking the silence.

Pond side-eyed him, his lips twitching in annoyance. “Yeah. Lucky me.”

Phuwin smiled, but it wasn’t warm. It was more like the smile of someone who knew they had the upper hand. “Don’t worry, Pond. I’ll make sure to give you lots of pointers.”

Pond stopped in his tracks, turning to face him fully. “Pointers? Seriously?”

Phuwin shrugged, unfazed. “You could use a few.”

That was it. Pond wasn’t going to hold back anymore. “Look, just because you’ve got this whole quiet genius thing going on doesn’t mean you can boss me around. I’ve been in this industry just as long as you have.”

Phuwin raised an eyebrow, his calm demeanor never wavering. “I wasn’t trying to boss you around. But if you feel threatened, maybe you should work on that.”

Pond opened his mouth to snap back, but he caught himself. Phuwin was baiting him, and he wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction.

“Whatever,” Pond muttered, turning back toward the exit. “I’ll see you at the first table read.”

“Looking forward to it,” Phuwin said, his voice light but laced with something that felt like a challenge.

As Pond walked away, he couldn’t shake the feeling that this series was going to be a lot more complicated than he had originally thought. He might have landed the role, but dealing with Phuwin was going to be a whole new battle—and he wasn’t sure if he was ready for it.