The Number One Star in the Interstellar Era

Chapter 781: NEW SCHOOL YEAR

THE new school year finally began for all the schools across the Empire. Students returned to their classrooms and campuses after the long break. The halls filled with the noise of friends meeting again and the sound of people moving to their first classes. And it was the same for Redwood Academy.

Astrid looked over his new schedule for the school year. His first class was listed as Advanced Character Interpretation. He tucked the schedule into his bag and started walking down the hall toward the acting department’s main building.

As he walked, several students he passed called out greetings to him. Astrid smiled and nodded back at them. He noticed some of them looking at him with open admiration. It also did not escape his notice that a few others watched him with clear envy.

He was used to this kind of attention ever since he started making a name for himself. It was even more obvious now that his popularity was rising so fast. It had reached a point where it didn’t really match his status as just a second-year student at Redwood.

He just hoped that no one would try to start any drama with him like they had when he was first starting out. Well, at least he was sure no one would be able to this week, since his schedule was completely packed with promotions for [The Shadow Within].

Because they didn’t have a big budget for marketing, they couldn’t afford a lot of ads. The only thing they could really do was accept every variety and talk show invitation they got. So, yes, this week was packed with those for him and Rhett.

Astrid had seen the list of shows they would appear on. Some of them were not very well known, but thanks to Ellis’s contacts, they had also secured spots on several major networks. Any promotion was good promotion. So, he planned to do his best on every single one.

He reached the building where his class was held. He went inside and walked down the main hallway. Following the room numbers, he turned a corner and found the right lecture hall. He pulled the door open and stepped inside.

Several students inside glanced over when he entered. Astrid ignored the stares and scanned the room. Then he spotted a familiar figure with light silvery blue hair. He smiled right away and hurried to the empty seat beside him.

"Hey, Snow," he greeted as he sat down. "How was your break?"

A small smile broke his usual cool expression. "It was good," he said. "I stayed very busy."

Because of [Serendipitous Summer], he got a lot of offers. He filmed a guest spot on a popular TV show and a supporting role in a big commercial movie. Now, he was getting ready to audition for the lead in a new fantasy series. That was what kept him busy for the second half of his break.

The first half, he spent with his father. That probably would not have happened if the Viscountess were still around. At least one good thing came from her trying to kill him. Now, he didn’t have to worry about her or her schemes. His father had her and her son under close watch. If they tried anything against Snow again, they would be sent straight to jail.

"I saw the trailer for [The Shadow Within]," he said, changing the topic. "It looked good. I heard Kiran did the music for it?"

"Yeah, he actually did it last minute because there was a problem with the first composer," Astrid explained. "Kiran did a fantastic job. No, he was great. He finished all the music in just three days. That guy... he’s definitely going to be a big name in the music industry soon."

Snow watched Astrid’s expression, which looked very proud of what Kiran had done. He smiled a little at that. He thought the same thing as Astrid. Kiran was really talented. Now that he was in a place that could help him grow, Kiran would only keep getting better from here on.

The two of them kept talking until the professor walked into the lecture hall and started the class.

***

After Astrid finished his last class, Ellis picked him up from the school gate and they drove straight to a photo studio. His only job for the day was to take photos that would be made into special cards. These photo cards were the surprise gift for the Starlights who would watch [The Shadow Within].

He planned to make one hundred different versions of the photo cards. That meant there would be a hundred different pictures of him in different poses, not just one. This way, they wouldn’t feel too common. His autograph would be printed on each photo. The whole gift would contain one random photo card, a special card holder, and a thank-you letter with his personal message.

One might think that’s too cheap for a gift. That might be true if this was his last life. But in this era where everything was digital? Something like a photo card was almost unheard of. So, it would feel more special instead. Astrid also asked Ellis to make sure that the photo cards would not be easily replicated just in case some people sold some knock-offs.

The studio they chose for this was one that’s affiliated with Polaris. So, Astrid had worked with them before. This meant they already understood the level of quality needed, and he trusted them to handle this carefully.

After they arrived, the make-up artist in charge quickly did his hair and make-up. Then the stylist gave him his first outfit to wear.

After the make-up artist was done and he had changed clothes, he looked at his reflection in the studio mirror. His usually straight black hair had been gently styled into soft, loose curls that framed his face. He was wearing a soft, cream-colored sweater with a small, delicately embroidered cat on the chest, paired with simple, tailored shorts.

Astrid gave a small nod of approval. Then he walked out of the dressing room to start the photoshoot.