"Alright, let's take a break," the director announced.
The crew immediately sighed in relief. Some fanned themselves while gulping down water, others stretched their sore backs, looking completely drained.
Compared to them, the actors had it easier. The moment filming paused, their assistants hurried over with cold drinks and portable fans.
Naturally, as the most famous actress on set, Chris was no exception. After exchanging a polite nod with her co-star, she accepted a cup of water from her assistant.
"Hey, Chris~"
Just as she raised the cup to her lips, a lively, familiar voice reached her ears. Without pausing, Chris slowly turned around, unsurprised.
Her gaze softened, lips curving almost imperceptibly.
"We came to visit the set," the woman beamed.
It was Yukiko Kudo. As she had mentioned earlier, she was very familiar with this film crew, so no one was surprised by her arrival. The director even greeted her warmly.
"I knew it was you the moment I heard that voice." Chris smiled and handed the cup back to her assistant. "What brings you here today? Weren't you busy before?"
"Well, I finally wrapped things up. Besides, I didn't come alone today." With a mischievous grin, Yukiko pulled the tall woman standing behind her forward.
"This dashing, cool beauty is my best friend, Shizuka Hiratsuka. She flew in from Japan to visit, so of course I had to bring her along." Yukiko puffed herself up proudly as she introduced Shizuka, giving her a playful pat on the shoulder.
"Handsome, right? You don't see many women with her kind of charisma. Don't tell me your heart skipped a beat~"
"Yukiko, stop spouting nonsense!" Shizuka swatted away her friend's teasing hand, cheeks faintly flushed. Composing herself, she offered Chris a confident, easy smile and extended her hand.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Shizuka Hiratsuka. I came with Yukiko to visit the set. I just watched your performance it was excellent."
"Thank you. I'm Chris Vineyard. It's a pleasure meeting someone as refreshing as you on such a sweltering day." With a graceful smile, Chris clasped Shizuka's hand lightly.
"And for the record… Yukiko wasn't exaggerating. You really are quite charming."
"Eh?" Shizuka blinked, caught off guard. From Chris's calm, elegant demeanor, she could tell it was half a tease echoing Yukiko's words.
"Chris, you're too funny," she said with a sheepish laugh. Though she'd dealt with foreigners before, she still wasn't fully used to their brand of humor.
"Shizuka just arrived in the States today," Yukiko explained cheerfully. "Since she didn't have any plans yet, I brought her here to have a look around."
Chris was one of the hottest stars in Hollywood. She wasn't arrogant, but she also wasn't known to be easily approachable. The fact that she could joke so casually with someone she'd just met was… surprising.
Yukiko watched with satisfaction. Yes, her best friend's charm was as irresistible as ever.
"By the way," Yukiko added, glancing around at the tired crew, "something seems off. Everyone looks exhausted. Did something happen on set?"
As an experienced actress herself, she could immediately tell the production must have hit a snag.
Chris brushed a strand of hair from her face, casting a glance toward the director and his team, who were deep in heated discussion.
"We're filming an outdoor chase scene right now," she explained, gesturing toward a cordoned-off area resembling a miniature ruin. "Everything was going according to plan, but yesterday our stunt coordinator was in a car accident. He can't work for the time being."
"With so many productions shooting at once, finding a replacement right away is nearly impossible."
She placed one hand on her hip, the other dangling casually at her side. Even such a simple pose radiated effortless allure, drawing more than a few furtive glances from nearby crew members.
"And you know how Director James is," Chris added with a wry smile. "When it comes to action scenes, he's unreasonably particular."
"We've been trying all morning, but none of the takes satisfy him. So the entire shoot is stalled. Naturally, everyone's on edge."
"What kind of scene is it? Something even you can't handle?" Yukiko asked curiously. She knew Chris wasn't just famous because she was Sharon Vineyard's daughter. Chris had real talent. Her acting skills were top-notch, and her physical ability allowed her to execute even demanding stunts flawlessly.
So if Chris called a scene difficult, Yukiko's interest was piqued.
"It's actually pretty straightforward. The problem's in the details and the creative vision." Chris spread her hands with a helpless smile.
"The character is supposed to fight off three attackers, then escape through that cluster of buildings in a parkour-style chase."
"That doesn't sound too bad," Yukiko remarked.
"Most of it is fine. The issue is that wall over there." Chris pointed toward a stone wall rising nearly five meters high. "The character has to scale it in one fluid sequence. With the stunt coordinator gone, even using wires, we can't get the motion to look natural in a single long shot. The director refuses to use cuts, so we're stuck."
"A five-meter wall?" Shizuka tilted her head, studying the barrier. "That doesn't seem so hard to climb."
"…Huh?"
"…What?"