The Day I Kissed An Older Man

Melody's anxiousness grew as she scrolled through the comments on the Internet. After much deliberation, she finally decided to hand over her phone to Paige.

The next morning, Melody had newfound courage as she met with the director and the rest of the team. Their first destination was the university in the city where 'War Song' was filmed. The movie primarily revolved around a romantic love story between young individuals, so college students were their primary target audience.

College campuses were a vibrant venue. Having a challenging audience as her first stop was considered as 'the road less taken'. Melody was extremely anxious as a result.

As Shaun observed her paler-than-usual complexion, he smiled and said, "You weren't this nervous when you auditioned for the role of Athena. What makes it different today?"

Melody grimaced. "Aren't you nervous? I don't know if I'll have to face any spontaneous questions later. It feels like being in class all over again."

"Oh, they're just college students. They'll probably ask questions related to the plot. You're Athena, so you're our protagonist! You can't afford to have stage fright!" the director reassured her.

Other crew members rallied around Melody and offered words of encouragement. Nathan was the other newcomer, but his prior experience as a model allowed him to remain unfazed by the roadshow. For Melody, however, the transition from online criticism to facing a live audience was a very daunting one.

She was worried about how the audience perceived her, fearing they might still hold certain prejudices against her and might not be keen on acknowledging her work in the movie.

Lucas was the only person who knew about her inner turmoil, but he could not be there to support her in person.

"Have you taken the stage yet?" Lucas' voice crackled over the phone.

"Not yet. I wouldn't be able to answer your call if I had," Melody quipped.

"Don't worry. The past is in the past. I'm sure they judge you on your merits, so believe in yourself. Remember your debut? You gained eight hundred thousand followers overnight. Not everyone can achieve that," Lucas reminded her.

Melody sighed. "But they weren't influenced by online rumors back then. Ugh, it's so frustrating! Why does it have to be me? I don't want everyone to misunderstand me. I wish they could see the real me from the start!"

Lucas empathized with Melody's

frustrations. "You're an actress, and your talent must speak for itself. Today is your chance to reintroduce

yourself to them. Don't back downe

Doing that will only let thoseContent bel0ngs to Nôvel(D)r/a/ma.Org.

dictate the narrative. You just need to interact with them in a genuine manner and show them who you truly are. Let them see the real you. That is the only way for them to understand you."

"Okay. I'll do my best," Melody conceded.

As the lights dimmed, Melody settled into her seat to watch the movie. It was her first time viewing the finished product of 'War Song Following the end of the filming, she only saw snippets, rather than the entire film.

The movie opened with two girls riding bicycles through the countryside, their laughter echoing joyously. As they reached the campus, the sound of a bell signaled their entrance. "Are we going to our secret base today?"