A/N You're reading. Thank you.
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The Going Seventeen staff was surprised to see the two already working and packing up items when they had arrived to set up cameras. The PD checked her watch and sure enough, she had been there on time. Why then were those two already there?
"You needn't set cameras here," Mina spoke just then, observing the crew unloading heavy lighting amongst other things. "We're going to visit the set for the Chuseok special today so we won't be at the office."
The PD turned to Hoshi who, unusually silent, locked gazes and nodded, affirming to Mina's words. Something about them felt different to her and she couldn't point out what.
"I suggest you stick to three cameramen at best, PD-nim," Mina spoke once more. A PD herself, she knew how to handle it. "We don't have space for your crew there."
The GoSe staff, having no choice but to agree decided on a smaller team for the day and dispersed, packing of their own. Joined by the rest of the team at the office, Mina's subordinates and team members silently followed commands, wary of the stiffness between Hoshi and Mina in the room, unspoken but so seemingly obvious. The two weren't talking, not to each other and not to anyone else.
Someone passed Hoshi the keys and soon everyone was headed to the company cars. Hoshi stood outside the Mina's BMW, staring at Mina through the glass, seated on the passenger seat, with equipment packed in their car and everyone else already gone. Mina looked back at him, "What are you waiting for? Get in! Drive."
"I can't drive."
Mina frowned, closing her eyes for a second before getting out of the passenger seat and closing the door behind her. Walking up to Hoshi, she looked him in the eye, holding a hand up. "Give me the keys, I'll drive."
Fingers brushing against each other, hands touching and a fiery spark igniting, Hoshi passed the keys to her. Not avoiding her gaze but facing it all head-on, anger surging up against each other from different, misguided sources, the two stayed silent at the start of the ride.
Mina put a playlist on shuffle, letting the music guide the cloudy mood in the car as Hoshi stared out the window. A familiar song played and Hoshi's feet were moving to it before he could help it. "You know this song?" Mina asked, observing Hoshi from the corner of her eye.
"You already know why." Hoshi stopped moving, having been called out for it. She already knew why, didn't she? She knew he was and she was playing with his mind, deliberately.
Mina sighed, pressing on the brakes a little suddenly, driving with one hand on the steering wheel and another before Soonyoung's chest, not touching him. "Things are not as they seem, Soonyoung. Whatever you think of me, why don't you enlighten me with the why?"
She was talking about the song and for once, Hoshi understood. "I like the choreography of this song." He supplied, playing along to her not knowing.
"The choreography?"
Soonyoung nodded, "There's something about those that express dance so well... They make every beat worth listening." He was being honest, Mina could tell from the way he looked out the window, a hand on his thighs to stop himself, "I could dance to this in my sleep."
Mina smiled, raising the volume a little louder and pressing on the accelerator. There was this innocence in Soonyoung's eyes that made Mina believe in him at that moment. Was he capable of following her out of office, tailing her movements? Was he cunning enough to commit the lowly acts she had accused him of? She didn't know.
"What do you think of this artist then?" She asked as the song changed to a different one, "I've been listening to this recently."
Mina watched as Soonyoung nodded to the music, "The beats are subtle but the choreography can be powerful." He muttered, in a mind of his own, "Like dancing on water."
Mina hummed in agreement, "Almost like art, isn't it?" She smiled, glad to find someone in agreement, "I'm in talks with the producer of this music. There's a documentary I want to make and I want him to exclusively give me his music."
Hoshi turned to her, surprised, "Wow. A documentary?"
She nodded, eyes on the road. "But you already know that, don't you?"
"I do?"
"You were there. Yesterday." Mina spoke, eyebrows raised, "That cafe? I met him, the producer there." She watched him grow confused with every second. He had followed her there, overheard her conversations but didn't know? It didn't make sense. Why was he confused?
"You were there to meet the music producer?" Hoshi tried to understand. So, when he had seen her walk into the cafe, dressed in black... That was her meeting a producer? "So, why were you dressed like that, acting all secretive and lying about being there?"
Mina chuckled at the unfair accusation, "Dressed like what? Commenting on someone's appearance is mean, Soonyoung."
"I meant, for the meeting. You two.. Didn't seem like colleagues." Hoshi spoke defensively, "I have no problem with whatever you want to wear. It's just the complete opposite of the image you have."
"And what kind of relation do you think I have with that man? Illicit?" Mina threw some objectives in the air, rolling her eyes.
Hoshi grew pink, "N-no."
Now, he was just plain cute looking embarrassed in the passenger seat. Mina laughed out loud, "He's just someone I know, Soonyoung. I've just lived outside the country all my life and so has he. Most people wouldn't care even if I kissed someone in public or danced around town there but they do here. It was a work related meeting, don't worry."
"Oh."
He was looking away, realising he had misunderstood. Mina shook her head. So that was it? His outburst about her being no different from the rest, was that what it was all about?
"But you lied. You lied about the meeting." Soonyoung perked up, turning his attention towards her. "You lied about your meeting with the producer, even about being drunk last night when you clearly weren't." You lied about not knowing me. He wanted to say that which he didn't.
It was Mina's turn to grow silent as she drove on. Nearing their destination, seeing one of their team members wave from far away, Mina hurried forward, parking at a suitable position. She wasn't going to explain every single move of hers to someone she barely knew. Stealing one last glance at him, Mina opened the door, the sound from outside hurling in as she whispered,
"Maybe some of us are just born liars."
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