DreamScape

PART 1: CHINESE WHISPERS - IX

Namjoon and Hoseok were walking to work together. The stunt team_ named the Action Department_ had a training facility right next to the main building, and the two men parted ways at the last minute, Hoseok managing to wrangle a promise out of his friend to meet up for lunch.

The cheery man walked into the training hall with a bright smile on his face, and as always his co-workers greeted him with a series of fake attacks and large grins. He was just swinging a young newbie over his shoulder in a judo move when a tall man called him from a short way away. Hoseok looked up, ignoring the small groan coming from the boy underneath him as he collided with the padded floor.

"You must be Jung Hoseok!" the man said, not unkindly as he stuck his hand out with respect. "I've heard a lot about you, it's an absolute pleasure."

Hoseok casually stepped over the complaining youth and grasped the proffered limb.

"That's me, you must be my 9 o'clock appointment."

"Ah not quite," the other declined, and they strode into the main part of the gym together. "I'm just the manager, my client is your student."

"Oh. And where is he at the moment?" Hoseok asked.

He had been warned that the newbie actor would most likely be a difficult, unprofessional and mostly uncooperative boy, as most singers-turned-actors tended to be. They always seemed to think they knew everything and that the world should bow at their feet_ according to most people in the company. The musical department's chief in particular had looked less than pleased when the casting had been announced. But the broad-shouldered manager was about to surprise him.

"He's getting ready by running through stretches," he smiles, before cupping his hands around his mouth to shout out: "Taehyung-ah!"

A young man was indeed on the other side of the large gym, running through the odd stretching positions common to dancers. When his name rang out, he jogged over smoothly, coming to a halt at a distance to allow him to bow respectfully.

"Hello, I'm Kim Taehyung," he announced, his deep and sorrowful tone contrasting with his childish face and fluffy hair. "Please take care of me."

Hoseok simply nodded, before all social boundaries ran from his mind, pushed out by the cutthroat professionalism he was known for. He strode over and proceeded to prod, poke and measure the singer's muscles, even lifting his arms and massaging his biceps. To his team, this was perfectly normal: he was simply assessing the product to see what changes needed to be made and what strengths they could build on. Taehyung and Jin simply shared a somewhat mixed look of confusion and awkwardness.

For the next several hours, Hoseok ran the young performer through a series of basic routines and tests. He started by showing him how to vault over an obstacle, at which point both Taehyung and his manager clapped enthusiastically, which with their childish expressions and hanging jaws made their teacher grin in satisfaction. Afterwards it was Taehyung's turn, and once the vaulting was perfect obstacles were added on.

By the end of the morning, he was running through a full obstacle course which seemed would never stop growing: vault over, slide under, jump over, vault and slide, climb up, jump down, climb rope, monkey bar crossing, tuck and roll, jazz hands. In that order.

Ever the studious student, Taehyung refused to comment on the last one and complied without a word, which only seemed to make Hoseok like him more. Considering himself content with the test results, the teacher released his student for lunch and headed out to meet Namjoon for food. During their meal, the silver-haired man sat silently, listening to the gushing praise and criticism pouring out of his friend's mouth in regards to their project's main actor. It seemed not every horrid box had been ticked on the 'nightmare project' list.