The scene ended, and Liam remained seated in the driver's seat, his hands resting on the wheel.
Charles's voice rang out loud and clear from across the set. "Cut! Good work, everyone. Let's prepare for the next shot."
But Liam wasn't basking in relief or pride—his brow furrowed as he glanced at the system panel in his mind.
[Skill: Advanced Driving]
[Ability Status: 55%]
"Only a 5% increase," Liam muttered under his breath.
"That's weird." He tapped his fingers against the steering wheel, processing the numbers. "I shot up to 50% almost immediately when I got the skill. Now it feels like I'm crawling. Guess it's harder to level up the higher you go."
He sighed, leaning back in the seat.
'Still,' he thought, '55% puts me among the best. The knowledge and precision I have now… it's like I could walk into any professional racing circuit and hold my own.'
A faint grin tugged at his lips, but before he could sink deeper into his thoughts, a knock on the car window jolted him back to reality.
Liam turned, startled. Damien's grinning face greeted him through the glass. Liam rolled down the window, and Damien immediately launched into a burst of praise.
"Damn, man! I didn't expect you to pull that off," Damien said, leaning against the car door. "That was insane! The drift—you made it look easy."
Liam chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Thanks. Just doing my job."
"Job?" Damien laughed, shaking his head. "That was way more than just a job. Next scene, I'm hopping in the car with you. I want to experience that firsthand."
Liam raised an eyebrow, smirking. "Are you sure? You might end up feeling sick, and if that happens during the shoot…" He trailed off, feigning a wince. "Charles will kill me."
Damien waved a dismissive hand, his grin widening. "Don't worry about it. I'll talk to him. Charles likes me, remember?"
Liam laughed outright at that. "You sure about that? The man runs a tight ship. I'm not sure he likes anyone."
"Trust me," Damien said confidently, tapping the side of the car. "He'll let me. Worst case, I'll sneak my way into the passenger seat. You just focus on driving like you did earlier."
Liam leaned back in his seat, his chuckle fading into a more thoughtful smile.
Damien's enthusiasm was infectious, and it felt good to have someone recognize his work. "Alright," he said. "But if this goes south, I'm pointing all fingers at you."
"Deal," Damien said, straightening up. He gave the roof of the car a light pat before stepping back.
"I'll see you in the next scene."
As Damien walked off toward Charles, Liam watched him go, shaking his head with a small laugh before stepping out of the car.
Before he could take another step, a voice called out to him. "Hey, that was a cool drive," said a woman with soft, chestnut-brown hair that she casually brushed back as she approached.
Her smile was friendly, and her tone held admiration.
Liam blinked, recognizing her as one of the extras who had been on set yesterday. He vaguely remembered her standing nearby, watching him but never engaging. "Oh, thanks," he said, caught off guard. "You're flattering me."
She shook her head with a slight laugh. "Nope, I'm being serious."
Her enthusiasm made Liam feel a bit self-conscious, but he smiled anyway. "I see. Well, thanks again. I appreciate it." He shifted slightly, unsure of how to continue the conversation.
Jaquine tilted her head, her expression curious. "So," she started, "what do you think about being a driver in a movie? Is that what you wanted when you came here?"
Liam hesitated, caught off guard by the question. He glanced at her, noting the curiosity in her eyes.
After a moment, he replied, "Honestly, I didn't have much in mind when I came here. I just wanted to be part of a movie—any movie—and learn as much as I could. I didn't care about the role as long as I got to participate." He paused, his smile turning a bit wry. "So I guess I got lucky with this. Driving is cool, but I'd love to do something a bit more… engaging."
Jaquine nodded, her gaze thoughtful. "That makes sense," she said, crossing her arms as she leaned slightly against a nearby crate. "It's a good start, though. You've already got the director's eyes, and you're catching everyone's attention with your work. That's not something everyone here can say."
Liam chuckled softly, scratching the back of his neck. "Maybe. I still have a long way to go, though."
Jaquine's smile widened slightly. "That's the right attitude. Ambitious but grounded. I respect that."
Before either of them could say more, Charles's voice cut through the air. "Alright, everyone, back to positions! The next shot is starting soon."
The energy on set shifted instantly as people began moving back into place. Jaquine straightened, brushing her hair back again. "Looks like we're up," she said.
"Yeah," Liam replied, glancing toward the car. From the corner of his eye, he spotted Damien walking toward him, a familiar grin on his face.
"Well," Jaquine said, stepping back slightly. "Good luck with the next scene."
"Thanks," Liam said with a small smile. "See you around."
"See you," Jaquine replied, giving a small wave before heading off toward her position.
Damien approached just as Jaquine left, his grin widening. "Making friends now, huh?" he teased, nudging Liam lightly on the arm.
Liam rolled his eyes playfully. "Just a casual conversation. Don't read into it."
"Sure, sure," Damien said, laughing. "Come on, let's get back to work. I need to experience that drive first hand!"
Liam raised his eyebrow slightly, "Director Charles accepted it?"
"Of course he did, I told him it will help me get into the role more naturally and he agreed after some persuasion."