Chapter 24 – Be Good
The guy's hands were really big, almost covering more than half her face. There were some calluses on it, and a soapy smell lingered.
Lisa followed it up, and put her hands on the guy's arms, treating his body as the back of a chair. Jungkook could feel her closing her eyes, her eyelashes tickling the palm of his hands; it felt a little itchy.
The people beside them were all staring blankly at them.
Jisoo had on an expression clearly said 'you young people sure have your ways of playing'.
Jungkook allowed her to hold him. "How did you know it was me?"
Lisa opened her eyes, her eyelashes brushed his palm once more, then she cracked her lips open and said, "Next time, I'll send you a bottle of the shower wash I use."
Jungkook lost it. He slowly shifted his hand away, Lisa reclined on her chair's backrest, still looking at him. Her eyes were filled with mirth. "Why are you here?"
"Checking up on you," Jungkook said simply, sitting beside her.
The actors and the main crew had met him yesterday. When they saw him now, they all came up to greet him.
The Assistant Director came up, a smile on his face. "Why, it's Director Jeon! If you'd said earlier, I would have picked you up myself. We just finished shooting the first scene, it's still a little messy..."
"I'm just dropping by," Jungkook said. "It's quite good."
It's unclear whether he was talking about the set or the scene.
The Assistant Director saw how close the two were sitting, and barely refrained from asking. The relationship between celebrities and bosses was a real minefield and he was afraid of saying something he shouldn't.
But there were clearly people who were not afraid. After thinking about it, Tzuyu gritted her teeth, adjusted the slit of her Qipao, and made sure to sway her hips while walking over to the Director, pretending that she wanted to see the replay before exclaiming in surprise. "Director Jeon? You're here to visit Lisa?"
She really wanted to know if Lisa was with Jungkook. She was of the belief that not many men could reject a woman who was offering herself to them. Someone like Jungkook, who refused to even give out a phone number, was either someone with a girlfriend, or a wife.
She did not expect Jungkook to merely glance at her coldly, not even making a sound. She kept the curve on her lips for almost a minute before she awkwardly stopped smiling.
Lisa ignored her too, turning to ask, "Didn't you say you were exercising?"
"Yeah," Jungkook said. "When I sent you that, I had just finished."
The next scene was for the two main characters; the next time Lisa was needed was a few scenes away. As if she'd remembered something, she asked, "You saw the first scene?"
Jungkook said, "I saw it.
"How was it?" Lisa tilted her head to the side and got closer. Her smile was sweet and silly, without a trace of the seductiveness she'd just portrayed. "Was I pretty?"
While the two of them whispered, Tzuyu's face was green for a while, and then white for another while. As if remembering something, she blurted out. "Lisa, Mingyu-ge came to find me earlier and asked for our filming location. Is he coming to look for you?"
"Tzuyu." Lin Yeri's voice sounded, halting this topic in time. "You're going to be up soon, hurry up and go touch up your make-up."
The two concertedly tossed the question down and ran.
Barely a few steps away, Lin Yeri couldn't help scolding her in a low volume. "What are you trying to do with Jungkook?"
"I'm not trying to do anything to him." Tzuyu pursed her lips. "I'm just trying not to let Lisa take advantage of him."
"We just started filming, you got this role after so much struggles, don't lose it." Lin Yeri had many celebrities under her, she could not stay here with Tzuyu in Shanghai every day. She had just left for five minutes when Tzuyu did something silly. She was really starting to worry about what would happen after she left. "Tomorrow, I need to go back to Beijing for half a month, don't get involved in anything in that time, just focus on filming. Can you do it?"
Tzuyu understood the other meant for her to 'obediently' do nothing.
She did not understand why Lisa could sit beside the Director and watch her direct the show, and have Jungkook come visit her on the set. And what she'd said about Mingyu was not a lie either, he did ask her for their filming location.
So, were all the good things in the world only for Lisa?
When she did not reply, Lin Yeri repeated. "Got it?"
Tzuyu stopped looking at her, and unwillingly said, "Got it."
"And," Lin Yeri opened her message, and said, "Director Qi wants you to go find him tonight."
...
Lisa had totally not expected Jungkook to come visit her. From the moment he'd arrived up until now, the tip of her mouth was curved up. It was not until the second scene was wrapped that she thought of something and walked around Jungkook, checking him.
Jungkook raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"
Lisa said, "You came here with nothing?"
It was the first time Jungkook was visiting someone at work, he had no idea there would be an etiquette he had to observe. "What do you want to eat?"
Lisa smiled as she raised her hand and spread it in front of him.
They had really just gotten to know each other recently, but they already had a sort of ability to know what the other wanted to do. Before Lisa spoke, Jungkook had already placed the phone in her hand.
Lisa opened the memo, and keyed everything one by one.
Five minutes later, when Jungkook took it back and looked, there were plenty of things on it. Strawberries, some brand of drinks, cornetto... it was obvious that these were what she liked to eat.
"Lisa." Jimin extricated herself from the discussion and noticed that Jungkook was sitting beside Lisa. She hastily greeted him, before turning her attention back to Lisa. "Go touch up, after the next scene it's your turn to go up."
Actually, Lisa's make-up had not been messed up in anyway. Every well-known director had that one or two strange obsession though, and Jimin's was no exception. Regardless of how perfect each actor's make-up was, she expected them to do a touch up before filming their scene, even if it was just dusting over their make-up with some powder.
Lisa had worked with her before, so she did not say anything more than necessary as she got up. "I'm going to the make-up room."
When the woman's figure had completely disappeared into the make-up room, Jungkook stopped looking at her. Unlocking his phone, he searched 'Mingyu'.
After browsing through the first few news regarding Mingyu, his eyes darkened though his expression remained unchanged.
A message came in.
[Somi: Brother, you went to Shanghai?]
Somi ignored her and continued to scroll through the page. It was not long before Somi called.
He frowned, turned off the sound, got up and left before picking up. "What is it."
"Brother –" Somi dragged the last syllable. "I want to go to Shanghai too!"
Jungkook paused in the act of hanging up, and asked "What for?"
"I haven't been to Disney in so long." Since that time, Somi had been grounded. Not locked at home, per se, but all her cards and money was confiscated – how was that any different from being grounded!
"Oh." Jungkook sounded normal. "Is it fun?"
Somi thought that there was a chance. "Really fun!"
Pa-da!
The other had hung up.
Somi was confused.
The guy raised his hand and looked at the time, then turned and entered the set.
When he went in, Lisa was already filming. She was tall, suited for wearing Qipao, and when she spoke her voice was soft and gentle, every sentence spoken to perfection.
Lisa filmed two scenes in a row before finishing. When filming she dared not look towards Jungkook, afraid that she would be off her game, and it was only now after she came down, did she realise Jungkook was no longer there.
Jisoo said, "He said he had a meeting and left."
Lisa opened her phone and looked at the message Jungkook left.
[Jungkook: See you in the afternoon.]
[Goddess Lisa: Then you will come find me if you have time? I'll mostly be at the set [obediently sitting on hunches.jpg]]
[Jungkook: Okay.]
After getting a reply, Lisa kept her phone and leaned against Jimin, watching the replay with her.
The actors were still preparing, so Jimin had some rare free time to chat with her. "When did you fall in love?"
Lisa clasped her hands in front of her chest. "The moment I saw him."
Behind her Jisoo laughed. "Did you graduate from the school of extreme actors?"
The three of them chatted for a while when Jisoo's phone rang. Since the filming had yet to start, she picked it up on the spot.
After a few sentences, she side eyed Lisa.
Lisa was munching on an apple, and she could feel the eyes on her. After Jisoo hung up, she asked, "What is it?"
Jisoo said, "There's a variety show looking for you."
"Didn't I say I'm not going to do any variety shows."
"He offered a really high price." Jisoo gestured a number. "And he said that if you are interested and there's anything you don't like, you can discuss it."
Lisa was still not interested, and randomly asked, "What variety show is it that is so willing to spend?"
"Some love variety show, the kind where two stars pretend to be lovers."
Lisa paused. "Let me guess, the other celebrity is Mingyu?"
Jisoo patted her head. "You're really smart."
"What do you think those people online are thinking?" Lisa said, looking confused. "If someone else admits to falling in love, they say it's to get attention; I deny it, and they say I'm looking for attention too! No, we should go to the lawyer."
Jisoo lost it. "Who would go to the lawyers for this sort of things?"
"Why not?" Lisa said. "Is the company going to let him tie me down in this? Little Jisoo, you know me, I don't like this sort of attention."
"Alright, I'll reject that variety show for you," Jisoo said. "Actually, I'm not too amenable about you going on variety shows too."
Lisa did not even look up. "Why?"
Jisoo said, "You're too impulsive, you're suited only for scripted roles."
"..."
During dinnertime, Lisa was sitting alone in the make-up room. She was picking out the fatty meat in the bento when the door opened and suddenly, she was faced with a few more paper bags.
She looked up at the stranger, wearing a suit and dressed smartly.
"Hello Miss Manoban." The guy smiled. "Director Jeon is busy, and specially requested I send you these."
Lisa opened the bag. One bag of strawberries, and a few drinks from a certain brand.
The assistant had just left when Jisoo entered.
"I'm impressed." Jisoo looked harried as she sat down next to Lisa.
Lisa was eating strawberries, and mumbled, "What is it?"
"..." Jisoo picked out the company's official Weibo. "Take a look."
Lisa looked at it off-handedly, then paused.
There was a notice posted to the top of the Weibo.
[Notice: Recently there are rumours regarding a celebrity from our company that are untrue. Here the company clarifies that Lisa and Mingyu do not have any relationship beyond that of friendship. The company refuses to be accomplice in attempts of garnering attention. We hereby thank everyone for their concern for Lisa. Also, if there are still rumour-mongers, the company will take lawful action.]
Jisoo said, "Receiving an official notice for this sort of things, with the male celebrity in question named, you're probably the first and only."
"..." Lisa was surprised for the moment too. "What's wrong with the company?"
"I called just now to ask," Jisoo said. "The boss said that the got a call from the Jeon Corporation."
Lisa was confused.
"Didn't the company ask you to sign another contract earlier, saying that some big corporation was about to buy the company?" Jisoo said lightly. "Today, it's released news internally that that big corporation has the surname Jeon."
Lisa, "..."
"The first thing he had to do when taking over was to deal with this thing you did." Jisoo said with feeling. "I finally witness it in person – what 'the overbearing CEO fell in love with me' is like."
Lisa did not reply, instead unlocking her phone and quickly sending Jungkook a message.
[Goddess Lisa: Hi boss, I'm here to massage your shoulders [now we start sharing bedspace.jpg]
Two minutes later.
[Jungkook: I'm busy, be good.]