Chapter 18: Chapter 17 - A Familiar Face

Milo:

I stood outside some stables in Gyeonggi-do, just on the outskirts of Seoul, soaking in the peaceful vibe around me. It was crazy how different it felt from the city—quiet, almost like a different world. This was where I’d be spending the next few weeks, getting into the headspace of General Choi Ji-hoon, this intense warrior with a messed-up love story. My heart was pounding, but in a good way. I was pumped to dive into this.

As I was standing there, trying to psych myself up, a guy walked up to me, looking all serious. “Lee Milo?” he asked, sticking out his hand. “I’m Nam Joon, the stunt coordinator. I’ll be handling all the logistics for the action scenes, including your horseback training.”

I shook his hand and gave him a slight bow, trying to match his vibe. “Nice to meet you, Nam Joon-nim.”

He nodded. “You ready to get started?”

“Yeah, let’s do it,” I replied, feeling a mix of nerves and excitement.

Joon led me toward the stables, giving me the rundown on what to expect. “We’ll start slow,” he explained. “Today’s all about getting you comfortable on the horse. Over the next few weeks, we’ll build up to the more complex stuff—sword fighting, stunts, you name it. By the time we’re on set, you’ll be moving like you’ve been doing this your whole life.”

It was a lot to take in, but I couldn’t deny the thrill running through me. This was exactly what I’d been hoping for—a real shot to prove myself, to push past my limits and see what I’m made of. I was ready to give it everything I had.

Just as we reached the paddock, though, that's when I saw her.

Orla.

The girl from the plane. The one who’d been stuck in my head since that day. She was leading a horse out of the stables, looking so different from the last time I’d seen her. She wasn’t in a wedding dress anymore, but in riding gear, looking all serious and focused. She looked even more stunning than I remembered.

I blinked, trying to process it. Was it really her? What were the chances? My heart started pounding for a completely different reason now.

“Hey, Orla,” Joon called out, motioning her over. “This is Milo Lee, the actor I mentioned. He’ll be working with you on the horseback scenes today.”

She walked over, giving me a polite smile, but there was something off. She seemed distant, all business. It was like she didn’t even recognize me.

“Nice to meet you,” she said, her tone professional, like we were total strangers. She extended her hand for a handshake, all formal and no-nonsense, which just made the whole situation even weirder.

I stared at her, still trying to wrap my head around this. “Oh uh…nice to meet you too,” I replied, reaching out to shake her hand. But it felt awkward, like we were two people meeting for the first time instead of… whatever this was supposed to be. Did she really not remember me? Or was she just pretending?

Orla pulled her hand back and immediately shifted into work mode.

“Alright, Milo, let’s get started. This is Raven,” she said, leading me over to a sleek, majestic black horse. Raven stood tall and proud, his coat shimmering in the sunlight. “He’s going to be your partner for the duration of the shoot. He’s well-trained and responsive, but it’s important that you two build a strong connection from the start.”

I nodded, trying to focus on what she was saying, but it was hard to shake the weirdness of the situation. “He’s incredible,” I said, running a hand along Raven’s neck.

Orla nodded, her expression softening a bit as she watched me interact with the horse. “He is. But remember, he’s a living, breathing animal, not just a prop. You need to treat him with respect, and he’ll do the same for you.”

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

Her professionalism made me feel like I was in over my head, but I pushed that thought aside. “Got it. So, what’s first?”

“We’ll start with the basics,” Orla said, leading Raven into the training ring. “I’ll guide you through mounting, basic commands, and riding posture. It’s important that you get comfortable in the saddle before we move on to more complex maneuvers.”

As she spoke, she kept her tone measured and direct, like she was a teacher just talking to another student, not the guy she’d sat next to on a 13-hour flight a few weeks ago. I couldn’t figure out if she was purposely ignoring that or if she really didn’t remember me. Either way, it was throwing me off, and I knew I had to get my head in the game if I wanted to nail this role.

I followed her lead, focusing on her instructions as I mounted Raven. The horse shifted slightly under me, but I managed to stay steady, trying to remember everything she’d just told me. Orla watched closely, her eyes sharp and assessing.

“Not bad,” she said after a moment. “Now, let’s see how you handle a trot.”

She guided me through the steps, her voice calm and steady as she explained each movement. I tried to follow her directions as best as I could, but the whole time, my mind kept drifting back to the fact that this was Orla—Orla from the plane, Orla who I couldn’t stop thinking about—and yet, here she was, treating me like a stranger.

After what felt like hours of training, the sun was beginning to dip low in the sky. We’d covered a lot, and I was starting to feel more comfortable in the saddle, but the weird tension between us hadn’t gone away.

As we wrapped up for the day, I couldn’t take it anymore. “Orla,” I said, dismounting from Raven and walking over to her. “What’s the deal? Do you really not remember me?”

She paused, her expression unreadable as she looked at me. For a moment, I thought she was going to brush it off again, but then she sighed, dropping the professional act. “Of course I remember you.”

“So then, why are you acting like you don’t know me?”

“I… well…” She hesitated, glancing around the stables before lowering her voice. “You’re kind of a big deal, Milo.”

“Yeah, but that’s not exactly news,” I said, still confused.

She looked down, clearly uncomfortable. “When we met, you didn’t exactly mention how famous you are. And now that I’m here, seeing all this, it’s a lot to take in. I just started this job a week ago, and I’m trying to keep things professional.”

I started to see a flicker of the warm personality I remembered from the flight, the one I’d been hoping to see again. “Let me guess,” I said, trying to lighten the mood, “they told you not to get too personal with the cast or something? Typical entertainment company policy bullshit.”

Orla finally looked me in the eye, and I caught a hint of a smile tugging at her lips. “Something like that,” she said, brushing a loose strand of hair from her braid behind her ear.

Seeing that cute smile, I felt a wave of relief wash over me. Maybe things weren’t as weird between us as I’d thought.

“Yeah, I get it,” I said, easing up a bit. “It’s just… I didn’t expect it to be you. I mean, I’m glad it is. Seeing someone familiar makes all of this a little less overwhelming.”

Orla gave a small nod. “It is nice. Honestly, I didn’t think I’d ever run into you again.”

I smiled, some of the tension I’d been feeling starting to fade. “You could’ve, you know. Why didn’t you reach out?”

She hesitated, her gaze dropping briefly. “I thought about it,” she admitted, her tone quieter now. “But everything happened so quickly. New job, new country… I wasn’t even sure if you were serious about wanting to keep in touch. I figured…”

“Figured what?” I asked, raising an eyebrow. “That because I’m famous, I wouldn’t follow through?”

“It’s not that,” she said, her cheeks turning a faint pink. “I just… didn’t want to assume you meant it. People say things, you know? And I’ve never been great at figuring out who’s genuine.”

I chuckled, shaking my head. “So you thought I was just messing with you?”

“Kind of,” she said with a shy laugh, biting her bottom lip. “I mean, look at you. Big celebrity, a whole different world… It’s hard not to feel like maybe I’m just imagining things.”

“Well, for the record,” I said, meeting her eyes, “I was serious. I wanted to hang out with you. Still do, actually.”

Her smile widened just a bit. “I’ll keep that in mind,” she said softly.

Just as the conversation was starting to feel like it was going somewhere, we were interrupted by a crew member, the 2nd AD. She approached with brisk efficiency, clipboard in hand. “Milo, we’re ready to take you back to the city,” she said.

Orla immediately snapped back into her professional demeanor, the warmth from just moments ago disappearing. “Well, I guess that’s it for today then,” she said, her voice polite but distant. “Have a good day, Milo.”

I watched as she turned and walked away with Raven, the sudden change in her attitude catching me off guard again. Maybe she was just trying to stay professional, but it left me questioning everything. Was she keeping her distance because of company rules, or was she unsure about reconnecting? Her mixed signals had me spinning. Yoo’s words echoed in my head: “If it’s meant to be, it’ll happen. And if not, there’s plenty of fish in the sea.” But seeing her again felt too perfect to ignore, like fate was stepping in. I wasn’t about to let this chance slip by. If this drama gave me a reason to get closer to her, I was taking it.