Author's Note: it's taking way too much time to get these chapters done. I usually write on a regular basis but I'm working full time now and when I get home the last thing I want to do is write. I feel bad for you guys by doing that. It means you have to wait longer. Plus I haven't figured out who I want her with.
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"What do you want to do about this?"
Jackson turned to Director Cha and shrugged then looked back at the choreographer as he walked through the choreography with a few of the stuntmen. The movements looked forced and unnatural, like the men and women were fighting with themselves on how to move.
Across the room Ren stood with another Chinese member as they were waiting for their turn. She was staring at the men and women with a confused look on her face. She obviously had the same idea Jackson did. Everything looked wrong.
Today was the first day they had decided to try out the choreography before working on lines. They had all gotten up at four just to wait for two hours to learn. Now they were watching something that was going to get someone hurt because of its sloppiness.
Jackson was about to step in when Ren pushed off the wall and stepped onto the blue mat. Her friend smiled and shook his head. Obviously he knew what was coming.
Ren looked meek and mild. She was smaller than everyone in the room so the others on the mat just looked at her in contempt as she stepped in front of them. Those smiles faded as she literally climbed up the choreographer and sent him careening into the floor. She stood over him with a terrifying look that even scared Jackson who was far away.
The dominos fell as all of the stuntmen charged. Ren squared up, putting more pressure on her back foot as she readied for the onslaught. Ducking under one's shoulder, she slammed her fist into one guy's side as she swept her right foot behind another and leveled him. One man tried to pin her arms behind her back, but she contorted and spun away before he could lock in.
By the time anyone thought to put a stop to it, everyone else was on the floor and everyone else was speechless. Ren hadn't even broken a sweat as she stood in the middle of the floor and looked down.
"Well that's slightly terrifying," Mark quipped. "I would hate to be the one whose unfortunate idea is to attack her on the street."
"They would definitely end up in the hospital," Jackson agreed. "Did you see the way her face changed? Imagine if she had a weapon. Director, please don't give that woman a weapon!"
Ren's ears finally stopped buzzing as the blood rush faded. She looked at the stuntmen as they picked themselves off the floor. She looked at the man standing on the wall and made a face.
"You went a little overboard," he said when she walked over.
"Maybe he should choreograph realistic sequences," she said as she took a drink of water. "They don't want us to get hurt but that garbage will get everyone hurt. The director should double check credentials."
"Maybe you shouldn't be so critical."
She looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "Lin, watch those movements in slow motion and tell me none of that looks dangerous. You're as trained as I am. In fact we trained under the same master. You know the risks."
"But I don't make the choreographer look like a fool because of it." Lin pressed the water bottle to his lips and cut his eyes to her. "You're starting to act like your sister."
He seemed to realize his mistake, but it was already too late. Hurt flashed across Ren's face before it was replaced with a cold exterior he had met before. Ren grabbed her coat and bag and crossed the blue mat quickly. She bent over briefly to retrieve her shoes before she pushed the door open and left the studio.
Across the room Jackson and Mark watched the scene. They didn't know what was being said but it didn't look good. Lin, who they had found out had trained with Ren in Macau, said something and immediately regretted it. Ren was gone before anyone could say anything.
Jackson followed as fast as he could. He didn't know Ren too well but he knew well enough that she would already be outside. Tao and Yixuan had told him that when she was upset she tended to disappear from the the situation instead of cry. They could count on one hand how many times she hadcried in front of them.
He shoved the glass doors open and looked around the sidewalk to see if he could find her. After a minute he spotted her but didn't move because he saw Yugyeom standing with her. After a moment, they stepped into a car and disappeared down the street.
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Yugyeom knew going to the company through the front door was dangerous but he had a schedule he had to keep. But first he needed to talk to his manager. They had agreed to meet in front of the building so he could pass off contracts before Yugyeom had to be at his first schedule. His manager would follow after he finished up some business.
He was waiting for his car when someone collided with him, nearly knocking him over. He looked down to see Ren apologizing in Mandarin. She seemed off from her usual timid self. Her hands shook as they held her bag and coat and shoes. He realized she was barefoot as he took full inventory.
His car pulled up ad he ushered her into the backseat before sliding in after her. He watched her put her shoes on them sit back and stare out the window. He didn't know if it was because she was uncomfortable with him or if something else was wrong. He knew she wouldn't understand him if he spoke so he fiddled with the hem of his coat.
His phone dinged and he pulled it out. Jackson had sent him a message. Swiping his finger across his screen, he opened it.
"Lin, one of Ren's friends from Macau that is working with us, said something to her that upset her. I don't know what was said but she left before rehearsals were over. Director Cha is nervous she may quit. I saw her leave with you so I figured I'd tell you."
Yugyeom looked over at the woman and a pang of sympathy went through him. He looked back at his phone and replied.
"I have her. Tell Director Cha that she won't quit. We'll be back in a little bit."
Knowing well that he was going to have to type to communicate with her, he waited until he was at his schedule. He sent his own director a quick message to tell her he was going to have a guest with him. He was certain his commercial's co-star was going to have a heart attack when he met her. Everyone in the company knew who she was.
The car pulled up to the studio and he looked over at Ren. She looked around then at him, a slight tilt of the head asking him where they were. He smiled and held out his hand. He was asking her to trust him. It took a moment but she finally slipped her hand in his.
Yugyeom led Ren through the security booth and the complex of the studios. She continuously flexed her hand in his, either out of nervousness or habit. She stayed glued to his side like he was the only lifeline she had.
"Director Hwang," he said as he neared a short haired woman. She turned to him immediately, relief written over her face. "Manager Cho sent these."
Director Hwang sighed as she took the documents his manager had sent. "I'm so glad he could get them to you. It makes it so much easier."
Yugyeom smiled. "Also I brought my friend with me. We're spending the day together and I wanted her to see what it was like to make a commercial. She only does movies and tv shows so this is a new game to her."
He watched his director's gaze go from his face to Ren. The look of surprise was obvious as she got a really good look at the woman before her.
Ren was nervous as she stood by Yugyeom and listened to him and this woman speak.
She didn't understand what they were saying but the tone said they were fond of each other. When the older woman's gaze landed on her, she didn't know what to do. She gripped Yugyeom's hand and brought her free hand up to take his elbow tightly.
"I'm Director Hwang Eun Soo. It's nice to meet you," the woman said.
Understanding the greeting, Ren offered a respectful bow. "I'm Renner Wu, or Ren."
Yugyeom took over the conversation. "Ren doesn't speak Korean. She can understand some phrases but she can't converse."
"How do you communicate?"
"Usually Jackson or Mark hyung translate since they speak Mandarin, but she has a portable translator for the rest of us until she completes her lessons."
"Ah. Well she can sit by me while we film the rest of the commercial. It shouldn't take too long."
Yugyeom looked down at Ren. "Do you have your translator?"
It took a moment for her to figure out what he had just asked. She fumbled through her bag and finally pulled out the silver box. Yugyeom took it and typed in what she was to do in Korean and watched it pop up in Mandarin.
Ren read his instructions. "We're going to be here for a few hours. Director Hwang said you can sit by her. Don't be surprised if you're ambushed."
She nodded and he smiled before taking her hand once again to lead her to the vacant chair by the director. The last time he looked at her before he started filming she was reading her Korean textbook for that night's class. She looked torn as she struggled with the foreign language, but he knew she would be fine. She had four people who could help whenever she wanted. She just had to ask.
He went about his business, spouting lines and interacting with his co-star. It didn't take as long as they had projected to complete the final scene. Not even two hours later, they had wrapped and were having their makeup removed. Ren was sitting against the wall with her nose in a book looking completely at ease. She had abandoned the Korean language textbook in favor of one with a half naked man on it.
"Yugyeom-ah, how did you meet her?" Dong Ho asked. He was his co-star in this commercial and had been his classmate in high school.
"She's my cousin's friend, is working with Jackson and Mark hung, and lives in my building," Yugyeom answered.
"Are you two dating?"
Yugyeom looked over to see Ren scratching her neck as her eyes followed the words on the page. "No."
But Dong Ho wasn't slow. "But you wish you were. Why don't you ask her out?"
The younger man looked at the woman in question. Now she was sitting with her feet drawn to her chest while chewing on her thumbnail. It wasn't a nervous chew; more like a lazy chew that she couldn't help. Her eyes never left her book.
"She's not interested in me. She can't be," he answered sadly.
"You'll never know unless you ask. She may just be waiting on you to do so. Most women like a guy who takes the initiative."
"I also have to fight Jackson and Mark hyung. She's already really close with Mark hyung. She even lets him wipe the sweat off her face after they work out. I've seen it a couple of times in the last few weeks."
Dong Ho grabbed his much taller friend by the face and shook it gently. "Quit being an idiot and grow a backbone. You're never going to get anywhere with that kind of attitude. You lost Oh Ha Ni to Song Ji Woo, who isn't even related to you. You're considered an extra member of F4 and yet you do nothing with it."
"Hyung doesn't do anything either," Yugyeom argued through squished cheeks.
"Young Jae hyung has his own personal charms that make the girls fall for him. He doesn't need the title of F4. His got one of the best acting personalities and a powerful voice. What more could he need?"
"I don't know, Dong Ho-ah. Noona can't even speak Korean."
Dong Ho dropped his hands and clapped them in front of the younger man's nose. "Then use that. Ask her to teach you some of the languages she knows. You know Korean and Japanese. Volunteer to teach her those and ask if she will teach you hers. It's a fool proof way."
Yugyeom didn't get a chance to answer as Ren walked up to them. She smiled shyly at Dong Ho with a slight bow before she turned to him and handed him the translator.
"I have to meet Jackson. We were supposed to work on my Korean after rehearsals. I kind of bailed on them though."
"Where?"
She seemed to recognize the word because she immediately answered. "A small café downtown. He said the name but I don't remember it. It's in my phone. Woo Bin is supposed to come help and Yi Jeong is supposed to bring his sketch for my movie room. I was told not to be late."
He nodded and handed the device back to her. He noted the awkward silence between Ren and Dong Ho due to the language barrier, but when he turned around Dong Ho was all fired up. He was buzzing with energy seconds before he thrust a blank sheet of paper under Ren's nose. She smiled and accepted the pen he also held and signed his notebook. He muttered thank you's and you're my favorite's the entire time, not that she understood any of it.
Yugyeom pushed his head slightly as he passed by. "Go shower. You have a hot date with Lee Min Ah."
He held out his hand to Ren again. She bowed at Dong Ho in goodbye then took his hand and followed him out of the studio.
