Serendipity 奇缘

#47: Filming with TVXQ

Two weeks later...

Filming was to commence, and my ankle had already recovered fully, with the help of a very insistent Jaejoong bugging me everyday to not walk too much around the apartment, and to take my medicine on time, not to work too long, etc, etc.

First week of filming went smoothly and the guys provided loads of free entertainment for the entire crew, cos they were always up to some crazy antics, monkeying around the set when they were waiting for their turns. Micky would pick on Xiah on some small matter, and the rest would join in and mass-bully Xiah. When I realised what they were doing, I would have to separate "the root of the problem" from the rest - which is Xiah, not Micky. Once Xiah was called away from the rest, they would quieten down for a while, as the "victim" was gone. But after a while, Jaejoong and Max would start some silly brawl, hitting each other continuously or chasing after one another. For these two, I just had to walk over and glare at the two of them silently. They will get the cue to stop it now, or bear the cost of getting it from me later when we go back to the apartment.

When we were into the second week of filming, it would have seemed to the rest of the crew that they were already very comfortable with working with me, the foreigner, as they started to tease me like the rest of the SM staff whom they worked with. But none of them could detect that we already knew each other before I came to Korea, all assumed that they were just comfortable working with me cos I was nearer to their ages than the rest of the foreign crew. Which is a blessing, cos we didn't have to be so formal in public anymore. We could just be ourselves. Max started calling me Nuna again, cos he popped the question in the van one day when their manager was around, and he agreed that Max should call me Nuna, since I was close to their ages, as long as I was alright with it.

But with Jaejoong it was less restrictive than before, but he still has to adhere to our agreement conditions or he would get the cold shoulder from me. I would just ignore him and walk away, if he went too far. Like once he tried to plead with me like how he does to the rest of the members, attempting to look all cute and innocent, holding my hand and all. I just ignored him, pretended that I didn't know what he was talking about, and walked away.

As the filming went on, I realised that it was closer and closer to the episodes where the plot changes occur. Soon it was already time to film those much dreaded scenes...

Jaejoong: WHAT ARE ALL THESE???!!!!!

Producer: It's a plot change. There's new characters coming into the show to spice things up. Women and girls all like to see these kinds of things like romance.

Jaejoong: But we're TVXQ, don't you think it's a bit unsafe for the female artistes that act opposite us in such scenes? You know how our fans are like...

Jaejoong looked pleadingly at the rest of the members to back him up.

U-Know: Yeah... Our fans... They can be a bit over the top when it comes to such things...

Manager: No worries guys. Your fans can tell that it's just acting. Different from real life. It's not as if it's you with your girlfriend kissing in front of them.

All five looked at each other, unsure of what to do next.

Micky: But Hyung... you know our fans...

Manager: It's fine guys... I've already discussed this with the production team, and we'll make sure it won't be touchy for the fans... So don't worry unnecessarily...

All five nodded dejectedly.

I knew it was no use for them to oppose the plot change. It had already been decided before they knew it. I knew it, but I couldn't let them in on it. And it made me quite upset to have to keep secrets from the one I love, but I had no choice. It was for his own good, cos I knew he would have such a huge reaction to it.