YB Fanfic, Ch. 4
Previously:
Chapter 1: Hello I Love You
Chapter 2: My Brave Face
Chapter 3: Temperamental
Disclaimer: The A.N.JELL-verse belongs to the Hong sisters, creators of You're Beautiful. "Hello I Love You" (a verse from which is quoted in this chapter) belongs to The Doors; you can listen to it here. On the other hand, "Let It Be" belongs to The Beatles. Ham Ji-hoon, star center for current KBL champions Ulsan Mobis, and George Harrison, late lead guitarist for The Beatles, belongs to themselves and/or their heirs.
Technical Notes: Once again, since Sayuri's two friends didn't have names in canon, I've taken the liberty of naming them. It makes things easier since they're physically difficult to distinguish.
Author's Notes: Thank you to jay_ed, musicsporty1 and lilivanilla1 for reviewing!
Chapter Four - Million Dollar Smile (Paul Gilbert)
It was early in the morning, but already a crowd was growing just outside a cordoned-off area in Seoul's Olympic Park. Information had leaked from various sources that A.N.JELL was going to begin shooting their new music video there, so a large number of fans and media had turned out to observe the proceedings.
Of course, the A.N.JELL fan club officers were there to support their idols. "I wonder what this video is going to be about," mused one girl, stifling a yawn. She had left the house extra early to make sure she wasn't going to be late and earn the wrath of her fan club president one more time.
Fortunately for her, Sayuri was deep in thought and didn't scold her for sounding bored. "I don't know, Ae-sook. I read so many rumors on the Internet that it's hard to put them together. Do you remember what else we read, Hyun-jae?"
Her other friend pulled a notepad out of her purse. "AN Entertainment rented some motorcycles," Hyun-jae reported. "They also cast other people to be in the video." The girls had already seen several leather-clad young men and women walk past them and onto the set. Then Hyun-jae frowned. "One of the bulletin board postings also mentioned something about... baking?"
"Motorcycles... extras...." Sayuri gasped as an idea came to her. "Maybe they're going to reenact Shin-woo oppa's legend!"
"With all four of them riding motorcycles!" Ae-sook said, perking up. "That would be so cool!"
The fan club president gave a stately nod of approval. "We should put that in our next fanfic."
"But what does baking have to do with all of this?" Hyun-jae asked.
Just then, the A.N.JELL van pulled up and excited shrieking broke out. Through waving hands and popping flashbulbs, the girls saw A.N.JELL making their way to the set. To their surprise, only Mi-nam was dressed like a biker in beat-up blue jeans, boots and a leather jacket. The others, though well-dressed, were not wearing outfits that looked like they belonged in the video.
"This isn't supposed to be a solo single," Hyun-jae said, puzzled. Between this and the baking, this was really confusing. "Their official website says that the new video is for an A.N.JELL song. The whole group should be in it."
"Maybe this is just Mi-nam oppa's part of the video," Ae-sook suggested. "That means they'll be filming others, too!"
"That makes sense. The thing I read about baking really didn't fit in with this concept."
Sayuri's eyes widened as another figure appeared. "I know that girl!" she exclaimed, pointing. "I spoke to her last week when the guards wouldn't let her in!"
"Ooh, I saw that!" said Ae-sook. "I remember thinking that she was very tall."
"She told me she was a model," Sayuri told her friends importantly. "I guess she really did have an appointment that day. Who knew it because she was going to be in a music video with A.N.JELL?"
Ha-neul was unaware that someone in the crowd had recognized her. Everyone was there to see A.N.JELL in person; all she had to do was mind her own business and focus on doing a good job. Still, the idea of making her way through that madness was intimidating, and she knew she wouldn't have looked so self-assured if she hadn't had Jim Morrison crooning in her ear.
She's walking down the street
Blind to every eye she meets
Do you think you can be the guy
To make the queen of the angels sigh? ...
The security guard escorted her to the dressing area, where Ha-neul changed into her costume, a more feminine version of Mi-nam's getup. Once she was dressed, she went over to hair and makeup, where she was hustled into a chair next to Mi-nam, who was getting his hair styled while his bandmates kept him company.
"Ha-neul! You look amazing!" Jeremy exclaimed as he whipped out his cell phone. "Let me take a picture of you for our homepage."
"No!" Ha-neul gasped. "They're still fixing me up."
"That's OK; it's a 'behind the scenes' picture. I want our fans to see what it's like on the set of our new video."
"Besides, you look fine," Shin-woo assured her.
Even Tae-kyung offered some support. "At least you're not wearing curlers in your hair," he said with a snicker.
"She'll be wearing a helmet for most of this sequence, so it doesn't make sense to give her an elaborate hairstyle," Stylist Wang said as she ran a brush through Ha-neul's long hair. "But still, I'm so happy I have a girl to dress for this video. It's like having my own living Barbie doll."
"Yeah, one that's even bigger than you," Mi-nam chuckled, squinting against the blast of the blow-dryer. Of all the A.N.JELL boys, only Tae-kyung came close to being as tall as Ha-neul in her high-heeled boots (and that was thanks to his hair). "It's a good thing we'll be sitting down in all our scenes. Ow!" he yelped when the object of his teasing took advantage of her long legs and gave him a not-so-gentle nudge with her foot.
"That serves you right," Stylist Wang told him. "Now stop picking on her so I can finish and the shooting can begin."
"Yes, noona." As instructed, Mi-nam behaved himself until their call time. He even gave Ha-neul a charming smile and helped her out of her chair. "Shall we?"
Shin-woo sidled up to Ha-neul as they all walked towards the set together. "Remember," he said to her, "it's just like a very long TV commercial."
She took a deep breath and squared her shoulders. "I can do this," she told herself.
He smiled and gave her a friendly pat on the shoulder. "I know you can. Good luck."
There wasn't much acting to do in this sequence; all Ha-neul really had to do was not fall off the back of the motorcycle, whip off her helmet with a cool smile and hang out with Mi-nam and the extras in the scene. Nevertheless, she did her best and made minimal mistakes, and the director seemed pleased with her efforts. "You're doing a very good job, Ha-neul," he told her when they broke for lunch.
"Thank you, Director Lee," she answered with a smile.
A production assistant came forward with a bottle of water and Ha-neul's bag. Ha-neul thanked the young man and had just slung the bag over her shoulder, ready to go to lunch, when it began to vibrate.
"Where are you?" Su-jin asked when she answered her phone. "Are you done shooting yet?"
"Hi, Su-jin. We're done for now and are about to have lunch. Where are you?"
"I'm here, outside the set! I read on the A.N.JELL website that you were shooting here today and thought I'd try to visit!"
"Oh! That would be great!" Ha-neul hurried towards the crowd of fans she had seen earlier.
The girls spotted each other quickly and Ha-neul got her friend past security. "She's my personal assistant," she told the guard, and hustled her friend away before the man could question Su-jin about her bank employee uniform.
"This is so cool!" Su-jin exclaimed as they walked, goggling at the equipment and racks of costumes. "You look great, too. Are all the A.N.JELL members here?"
As if in answer to her question, someone called Ha-neul's name. Mi-nam was waving to her from a table, at which he sat with the rest of his bandmates. "Come eat with us!"
Smiling, Ha-neul nodded and the girls went to get food from the buffet lunch that had been set up for the performers and crew. "Hi, guys," she greeted them as they approached the table. "You remember Su-jin, right?"
"Of course, she's your friend from the concert." Shin-woo nodded and smiled in greeting. The other boys did the same - except for Jeremy, who scowled, perhaps remembering the set-down Su-jin had given him that night. However, the blond young man didn't protest when the others made space at the table so that the girls could join them.
Su-jin was full of questions about the video, which kept Ha-neul and the boys busy either answering her questions or being evasive when she asked about what the rest of the video was going to be like, which the band's management had told them not to discuss. They were able to confirm that each band member would have his own segment with Ha-neul in the video, but couldn't give out any additional details.
"Well, I think it's great that you're going to have a big part in this video," Su-jin told her friend proudly. "I'm excited to be able to tell people that you're my best friend!"
"You mean you were never excited to tell people that before?" Ha-neul joked.
The other girl gave her a playful smack on the arm, and then gasped. "Hey, when that video gets uploaded online, you should send the link to Cicero!"
That got the guys' attention. "Cicero?" Mi-nam repeated with a quizzical arch of an eyebrow.
"Just a friend from the Olympics," Ha-neul explained. She could feel her face grow warm and, conscious that they were all looking at her keenly, hoped it wasn't obvious through the stage makeup.
"He was the most handsome guy on the Spanish men's basketball team," Su-jin sighed, and sent her friend a sideways glance. "And out of all the girls making fools of themselves over him, he became close to Ha-neul."
"Well, there was never anything between us other than friendship," Ha-neul clarified, praying all the while that someone would change the subject. "Mostly, he was helping me improve my hook shot."
"He did have the most beautiful hook shot," Su-jin said dreamily.
"Did it work?" Jeremy asked.
That seemed to distract Su-jin from the subject of Cicero and the dreamy smile on her face crumpled into a scowl. "Of course it did! What is it with you and girls who play basketball?"
Embarrassed, Ha-neul hastened to smooth things over. "Su-jin, calm down. Jeremy was-"
If there was one thing that "Jeremy was," it was spoiling for a fight. "I just don't think girls should play sports where they could hurt themselves, that's all!" he retorted. "I'm just trying to be gentlemanly here!"
"Well, you're not being gentlemanly," Su-jin told him. "You're being chauvinistic, and I've had it. I'm challenging you to a basketball game. Two-on-two," she went on. "Me and Ha-neul against you and anyone you want."
Ha-neul's jaw dropped at suddenly being included, but she didn't contradict her friend. "Sorry, Jeremy," she said instead, "but Su-jin has a point." She was proud of being a basketball player, and it had been a while since she had the opportunity to play alongside any of her old teammates.
"Even if you get Ham Ji-hoon to play on your team," Su-jin told Jeremy, "I promise we're going to give you a good fight. Maybe we'll even win." The entire point of the challenge was to prove that girls could be competitive at contact sports; winning would be nice, but it would just be icing on the cake.
The blond boy smirked at the "maybe." "You're on!"
That very night, Jeremy made the rounds among his bandmates, trying to find a teammate for Su-jin's challenge. "You can't be serious," was Tae-kyung's response to the invitation.
"Of course I'm serious, hyung! Will you be my teammate?" he wheedled. At Jeremy's side, Angelina Jolie wagged her tail and eyed Tae-kyung soulfully.
Unmoved by the matching dog-and-master puppydog eyes, the vocalist turned a page in the magazine he was reading. "No."
"But, hyung, don't you want to help me prove that men are better than women?"
"Don't you remember, Jeremy? Tae-kyung's allergic to perspiration," Mi-nam reminded his bandmate. Tae-kyung's eyes narrowed at the ridiculous statement, but he said nothing; he could afford to let Jeremy believe that for a while, especially if it was going to keep him out of that crazy challenge.
Jeremy turned to Mi-nam with a hopeful expression on his face. "What about you, Mi-nam? Will you be my teammate?"
He chuckled and shook his head. "Sorry, Jeremy, but I'm not going anywhere near those girls when they have those looks on their faces."
"Hmph!" Jeremy sniffed disdainfully, sounding every bit like his aristocratic English ancestors. "You're too short, anyway. Where's Shin-woo hyung?"
Shin-woo was out on the upper deck of the house with his guitar in his lap, trying to compose a song. This wasn't the addition that Tae-kyung had requested for "Can't Wait," which he had already finished, but a song of his own. He didn't really have an idea of how he wanted the song to sound yet, knowing only that he wanted to write one. Hopefully, it would be good enough to be included in the upcoming album.
Jeremy and Jolie came upon Shin-woo as he was picking out random notes on the strings. "Shin-woo hyung, will you be my teammate?"
"What's the matter?" Shin-woo teased, giving Jolie an affectionale scratch behind the ears. "Did Ham Ji-hoon say no?"
"Actually, he was begging me to let him play," Jeremy bantered back, "but I turned him down. I figured I would do better if I had someone I knew and trusted on my side."
"Have you asked the others?"
"Yeah, but Tae-kyung hyung is allergic to sweat or something, and Mi-nam's scared of Su-jin. What's so scary about her? She's small and loud, and... that's it." He wiped the distasteful frown off his face. "Anyway, hyung, after I asked them, I realized that you were the best choice anyway."
Shin-woo arched an eyebrow. "Oh, yeah? Why am I the best choice?"
"Well, for one thing, you're taller than Mi-nam," Jeremy began, ticking off the reasons on his fingers. He had obviously given some thought to his sales pitch. "And you're better at sports than Tae-kyung hyung. You're pretty good when we play basketball against our backup dancers. Then, like I said, we're in a band together so I know we would play well as a team. And," he finished triumphantly, "since you and Ha-neul knew each other when you were kids, you should be able to defend against her well!"
"But I've never played basketball against Ha-neul," Shin-woo pointed out. "And we knew each other a very long time ago. I'm not familiar with the way she plays."
"Still, you're the best choice for my team," Jeremy insisted. "Come on, won't you be my teammate?"
Jolie rested her head on Shin-woo's knee and let out a pleading whine. That made him chuckle; he was sure Jeremy would do the same thing if he thought it would help his case. Fortunately, there was no need to go that far. "OK," Shin-woo said finally. "It's nice to be the best choice for once."
The second day of shooting, during which two segments were scheduled to be filmed, was held at the mansion where the A.N.JELL members all lived. The first, starring Tae-kyung, was to be filmed in the sunken music room, which was dominated by the white baby grand piano on which the A.N.JELL vocalist had written a fair number of the band's hit songs.
Stylist Wang clapped delightedly as she ushered Ha-neul onto the set. "You look so beautiful!"
Ha-neul had to agree. Unlike the first segment, where she had worn stylish yet still rugged motorcycle gear, today she was wearing a white dress trimmed with a black sash, and matching high heels. Simple diamond jewelry and small flowers in her hair completed the look. It was feminine but not fussy, which she liked a lot. "Well, it's all thanks to you, Stylist Wang."
"Call me unni," the stylist reminded her. "And yes, I know." She preened visibly. "This segment is going to be fabulous!"
"Oh, Ha-neul, you look so beautiful!" Jeremy exclaimed when he saw her. The boys had been standing with Tae-kyung, who was also dressed in black and white, waiting for the shooting to begin. They, too, looked her over appreciatively, which made Ha-neul blush.
Jeremy reached out a hand to help her down the steps, but Director Lee intercepted her before she could go any further. "Listen, everyone," he announced. "This segment will be a simple one, so I want every move to be perfect! In this scene, we start with Ha-neul making her way down the stairs. Ha-neul, you'll walk over to the piano, where you'll watch Tae-kyung play music for you-"
"Sounds like that fanfic I read yesterday," Jeremy commented to the others. "Except Shin-woo hyung was the one doing the watching."
"The feel we're going for here is elegant and graceful," the director went on. "We don't have lots of extras or flashy effects in this scene, so it's you, the actors, who have to make it work. Now, places! Aaaand... action!"
Praying that she wouldn't fall flat on her face in front of everyone and in such a pretty outfit, Ha-neul walked down the steps and over to the piano, stopping at the spot that Director Lee had indicated. The camera moved across the doorway to reveal Tae-kyung already seated at the instrument. "Any requests?" he asked her with the friendliest smile she had ever seen on him. (That was probably all thanks to the fact that they were being filmed. Since the song would be the only sound heard on the video, it was their actions and facial expressions that was most important.)
"Hmmm... how about 'Let It Be'?" Ha-neul suggested.
He nodded approvingly and started to play. "That's a good song."
"It's one of my favorites."
"Lean a bit on the piano," Director Lee instructed.
"The guitar solo in the original is amazing." She draped herself over the piano, trying to make it look graceful. "I think it was interesting that George Harrison was the Beatle who didn't say much, but-" Suddenly, she frowned. "I'm sorry, could we stop filming for a minute?"
"Cut!" the director said. "What's wrong, Ha-neul?"
"These heels are pretty, but they're making me too tall," she complained. "I feel like I'm going to fall onto the piano." They were making her feet hurt, too. She kicked them off and leaned on the piano again. "That's much better."
"Wait!" Director Lee exclaimed, rushing onto the set. "Why don't you remove your shoes when you reach the bottom of the stairs? I think it would add a casual, intimate touch to this scene. Otherwise it would be really formal and boring. What do you think?"
Ha-neul, of course, was all for it. Kicking off her shoes on-camera was fun and helped relax her for the rest of the scene. "Same song?" Tae-kyung asked when she again took her place beside the piano.
"Yes, please," she answered with a smile.
"You were saying something about George Harrison?" he reminded her as he began to play.
"Oh, just that he was the quiet one in the band, but his guitar playing said so much about him. At least," she added bashfully, "that's what I think. I mean, what do I really know about music, right?"
"It makes sense to me," Tae-kyung assured her with another friendly smile, his fingers not faltering over the keys.
"All right, Ha-neul, just watch Tae-kyung sing and play the piano for a while," Director Lee instructed them. "Don't forget to look like you're having fun!"
That wasn't difficult. Even though she wasn't an expert, it was obvious to Ha-neul that the A.N.JELL vocalist was a talented and passionate musician. Part of his happy demeanor was due to what was required for the video, but she could tell that it was also because he loved what he did, and it was fun to watch him enjoy something that much.
Standing with the rest of his bandmates, Shin-woo watched Ha-neul lean on the piano and smile as she watched Tae-kyung play. The look on her face didn't sit well with him for some reason. Was it just him, or did it look very much like the one Mi-nyeo had worn whenever she looked at Tae-kyung?
Director Lee was happy with the footage they had shot, so they finished the scene before lunch. After a break, they started setting up for the next segment, the baking scene with Jeremy that would be filmed in the mansion's spacious kitchen. "I asked if we could include Angelina Jolie in this scene, and Director Lee said yes," Jeremy told Ha-neul happily as Stylist Wang and her assistants put the finishing touches on their outfits. Although Ha-neul had liked the outfit she had worn for the piano scene, she was much more comfortable in the colorful, casual clothes that she was now wearing.
"Angelina Jolie?" she repeated, surprised. "If you were going to have her in this video, why did you need to cast me?"
"Because Jolie can only be in my scene," he answered seriously. "She loves only me."
Ha-neul laughed when "Angelina Jolie" turned out to be a dog. However, like her namesake, the golden retriever was born to be a star. Jolie insisted on supervising her and Jeremy as they measured out and mixed ingredients, and joining in the fun when Jeremy, deciding that he would rather play than work, started a playful food fight. Since she had to stay seated so as not to appear taller than Jeremy, Ha-neul couldn't retaliate much. She found it difficult to concentrate on following the recipe when her partners in baking were being so distracting, but thought this segment was a lot of fun, too.
"Fantastic!" Director Lee cried as the three of them took bites of the cupcakes they had baked, which had turned out quite well despite all the silliness, and Jeremy dabbed frosting on Ha-neul's nose. "That's a wrap! Thank you, everyone; we'll see you on Saturday."
Ha-neul's phone began to vibrate as she wiped off the makeup, flour and cake batter on her face. She pulled it out of her pocket to see that she had received a text message from Su-jin. "Su-jin said she'll be here in a few minutes," she announced.
Jeremy's friendly grin disappeared as he remembered that their basketball game was set to take place that day. "Now that we're finished having fun," he said, "it's time to get serious. Prepare to be humiliated!"
Ha-neul laughed. Besides knowing the importance of keeping her cool before a game, she also knew that annoying Jeremy would work in her team's favor. She swiped a last bit of frosting from the mixing bowl and smeared it on his cheek. "Unless you did manage to get Ham Ji-hoon to play on your team, you should probably follow your own advice," she told him, and flounced off to change her clothes.
The two-on-two basketball challenge was held in the gym in the back of the house, which boasted a half-court as well as state-of-the-art exercise equipment. Tae-kyung, Mi-nam and Jolie sat on the sidelines with A.N.JELL's handler, Ma Hoon-yi, who had insisted on attending. "Are you sure this is safe?" the plump older man asked for the millionth time. Since they were his responsibility, the idea of any of them getting hurt (and subsequently having to answer to President Ahn) made him very nervous.
"Manager Ma, they're girls!" Jeremy scoffed. "How hard could this be?"
"Let's not get too confident," Shin-woo cautioned him. "They may be girls, but they're also Olympic athletes, so we should still try our best."
Just then, the door to the gym opened. "Ta-daaa!" Stylist Wang sang out as she entered, holding out her arms in a dramatic flourish and sashaying across the hardwood floor, heralding the arrival of the opposing team.
Behind him, Shin-woo heard Mi-nam let out a low whistle. "I'm glad I'm not playing," the keyboardist murmured.
The girl who earlier that day had worn pretty clothes and flirted for the camera was gone, and so was her bubbly best friend. Walking towards them were two battle-ready women athletes wearing matching businesslike expressions and navy blue basketball jerseys. The jerseys had the word "KOREA" emblazoned in big white letters across the front. Shin-woo had to admit that it looked pretty intimidating, but he steeled his resolve. This, he thought, is not the time to be afraid... or charitable towards Ha-neul just because she's a girl.
"What are you doing here?" Manager Ma asked the stylist as she joined him and the band on the sidelines.
She smacked the back of his head. "You're looking after the boys, I'm looking after the girls." She gave Jeremy and Shin-woo a warning glare. "If Ha-neul gets even the slightest scratch, that's extra work for me!"
The girls dropped their sports bags on a spot near the baseline. Su-jin dropped her game face long enough to give the other A.N.JELL members a friendly smile, then turned back to Jeremy. "Are we doing this or what?" she demanded as Ha-neul bent down to adjust the brace around her left knee.
"Of course we are!" he retorted, then turned to Shin-woo. "Let's do this."
To Jeremy's delight, the boys drew first blood when Shin-woo scored a basket in the first few minutes of play. Shin-woo didn't gloat over it as much as his teammate did, but he did allow himself a small smile when he faced Ha-neul again. He couldn't quite explain it, but he derived some satisfaction from making that shot. Probably because she's an Olympic athlete, he told himself. The only fly in the ointment was that Ha-neul didn't seem to be affected at all; in fact, neither did Su-jin, even though Jeremy did a fair bit of crowing in her face.
Later, Shin-woo realized that the girls had lulled them into a false sense of security; after the first timeout, they suddenly clamped down on defense. It was as though they had been scouting the boys early in the game, and because he and Jeremy had pulled out all the stops to try and intimidate their opponents, the girls now knew precisely how to shut them down.
Su-jin got her revenge on Jeremy when she stripped him of the ball and proceeded to sink a perfect three-point shot over the blond boy's head. "You should score first," she advised him helpfully, "and then you smile."
With a growl, he retrieved the basketball and managed to pass it to Shin-woo, who attempted a shot... only to have Ha-neul swat it soundly away. The next time Shin-woo faced her, she gave him the same small smile he had given her earlier.
That smile appeared again and again with every basket and defensive stop that she made. Jeremy would kill him if he knew, but Shin-woo found himself thinking about it as he stared at the nape of Ha-neul's neck, trying to defend against her on her way to the basket. As a result, he was a moment too late when she suddenly spun around and launched a hook shot.
The ball dropped neatly into the net and Ha-neul allowed herself a small whoop of triumph. Su-jin, grinning, offered her a high-five. "You should definitely e-mail Cicero about that!"
Ha-neul grinned back. "Maybe I will."
"Now, I'm really glad I'm not playing," Mi-nam remarked as the boys called for a time-out.
"I'm sorry, Jeremy," Shin-woo apologized when they were in huddle. "I'm not playing very well today."
Being the nice guy that he was, Jeremy forgave him. "No, you're doing great, Shin-woo hyung," he assured him. "It's just harder for you because Ha-neul is so tall." Jeremy had the obvious height advantage over Su-jin, but all the girl had to do to get around that was pass to Ha-neul, who took care of the rest.
"But we can't let them win," the blond boy went on. "They're leading by ten points, but there's still time to catch up."
Shin-woo glanced at the girls, who were strategizing with intent looks on their faces. "What do you suggest we do?"
"Don't let Ha-neul score another basket," his teammate answered. "Hold her down if you have to."
He frowned. "Isn't that against the rules?"
"So?" Jeremy scoffed. "They're girls. Do you think they're going to fight back?"
"Are you guys ready to give up?" Su-jin asked as the girls re-entered the court. She didn't look at all like she was gloating, but it was obvious that she was enjoying this.
"No way!" Jeremy told her.
"OK, then." Since Ha-neul scored before the time-out, it was the boys' turn to take possession of the ball. Su-jin sent him a hard chest pass. "We'll keep going until you admit defeat."
"We'll see who admits defeat!"
Jeremy passed the ball to Shin-woo so that they could inbound under the basket. Shin-woo kicked it back out to Jeremy, and the girls moved in to defend and keep them from passing. Ha-neul, of course, tried to jostle Shin-woo out of position, but as the boys had planned, Shin-woo tried to limit her movements as well.
It had just registered to him that he actually had his arms around Ha-neul when pain unexpectedly exploded in his stomach. "Aaaah!" he cried and fell to the ground, gasping for air.
"Hyung!" Jeremy screeched, flinging the ball away and rushing to his side. "Are you OK? Speak to me!"
"Don't be such a baby," Ha-neul said as she walked up to the pair. "I barely hit you!"
"But you did hit me!" Shin-woo wheezed.
"Well, you were holding me," she retorted, but held out a hand. "Come on, get up and let's finish this game."
"No, no, no!" Manager Ma edged into Shin-woo's view. "I'm sorry, but this has to stop right now. I can't afford to let any of the boys get seriously hurt!"
"They wouldn't get seriously hurt if they kept their hands to themselves!" Stylist Wang told him, throwing one of her bracelets at his head.
Su-jin, however, decided not to argue. "We were winning, anyway," she said with a queenly wave of her hand. "So I guess we can consider this a victory for the women. Come on, Ha-neul."
Ha-neul waited for a moment to see if Shin-woo would take the hand she offered, but when he didn't, she sighed and followed her friend to where they had left their things.
"That could have been one of us, brother-in-law," Mi-nam said to Tae-kyung as Manager Ma and Jeremy helped Shin-woo out of the gym.
"Thank God it wasn't."
The moment she got home, Ha-neul went straight to her room and closed the door before collapsing on her bed in a mortified heap. "Oh, my God," she whimpered into her pillow.
That was a great way to leave an impression, So Ha-neul - with your elbow!
It was pure instinct! I do that to any opponent who tries to shut me down, especially illegally. I wasn't going to let him do that just because-
Ha-neul squeezed her eyes shut and took several deep breaths to clear her head. There was no undoing the past, she told herself. What was done was done, and the important thing now was to figure out how to act around him on the next day of shooting, during which they would film Shin-woo's segment in the video.
Oh, why didn't we shoot that segment before all of this happened?
Focus, Ha-neul.
She couldn't act as though nothing had happened; he had been hurt and it would be callous to ignore that. On the other hand, Ha-neul refused to act as though she was entirely at fault; she had hit him, but she had been provoked into doing it. The best thing to do, she decided, was to wait first and gauge Shin-woo's mood. If he was open to discussing the matter, they would talk it over like adults, but she could just joke about it, too, if that was what he wanted. Above it all, she had to remind him that it was just a game and they were supposed to be friends.
Yes, that sounds like a good plan.
She sighed and thought about how Shin-woo hadn't taken her hand when she had offered to help him up. I hope he doesn't hate me.
Chapter 1: Hello I Love You
Chapter 2: My Brave Face
Chapter 3: Temperamental
Disclaimer: The A.N.JELL-verse belongs to the Hong sisters, creators of You're Beautiful. "Hello I Love You" (a verse from which is quoted in this chapter) belongs to The Doors; you can listen to it here. On the other hand, "Let It Be" belongs to The Beatles. Ham Ji-hoon, star center for current KBL champions Ulsan Mobis, and George Harrison, late lead guitarist for The Beatles, belongs to themselves and/or their heirs.
Technical Notes: Once again, since Sayuri's two friends didn't have names in canon, I've taken the liberty of naming them. It makes things easier since they're physically difficult to distinguish.
Author's Notes: Thank you to jay_ed, musicsporty1 and lilivanilla1 for reviewing!
Chapter Four - Million Dollar Smile (Paul Gilbert)
It was early in the morning, but already a crowd was growing just outside a cordoned-off area in Seoul's Olympic Park. Information had leaked from various sources that A.N.JELL was going to begin shooting their new music video there, so a large number of fans and media had turned out to observe the proceedings.
Of course, the A.N.JELL fan club officers were there to support their idols. "I wonder what this video is going to be about," mused one girl, stifling a yawn. She had left the house extra early to make sure she wasn't going to be late and earn the wrath of her fan club president one more time.
Fortunately for her, Sayuri was deep in thought and didn't scold her for sounding bored. "I don't know, Ae-sook. I read so many rumors on the Internet that it's hard to put them together. Do you remember what else we read, Hyun-jae?"
Her other friend pulled a notepad out of her purse. "AN Entertainment rented some motorcycles," Hyun-jae reported. "They also cast other people to be in the video." The girls had already seen several leather-clad young men and women walk past them and onto the set. Then Hyun-jae frowned. "One of the bulletin board postings also mentioned something about... baking?"
"Motorcycles... extras...." Sayuri gasped as an idea came to her. "Maybe they're going to reenact Shin-woo oppa's legend!"
"With all four of them riding motorcycles!" Ae-sook said, perking up. "That would be so cool!"
The fan club president gave a stately nod of approval. "We should put that in our next fanfic."
"But what does baking have to do with all of this?" Hyun-jae asked.
Just then, the A.N.JELL van pulled up and excited shrieking broke out. Through waving hands and popping flashbulbs, the girls saw A.N.JELL making their way to the set. To their surprise, only Mi-nam was dressed like a biker in beat-up blue jeans, boots and a leather jacket. The others, though well-dressed, were not wearing outfits that looked like they belonged in the video.
"This isn't supposed to be a solo single," Hyun-jae said, puzzled. Between this and the baking, this was really confusing. "Their official website says that the new video is for an A.N.JELL song. The whole group should be in it."
"Maybe this is just Mi-nam oppa's part of the video," Ae-sook suggested. "That means they'll be filming others, too!"
"That makes sense. The thing I read about baking really didn't fit in with this concept."
Sayuri's eyes widened as another figure appeared. "I know that girl!" she exclaimed, pointing. "I spoke to her last week when the guards wouldn't let her in!"
"Ooh, I saw that!" said Ae-sook. "I remember thinking that she was very tall."
"She told me she was a model," Sayuri told her friends importantly. "I guess she really did have an appointment that day. Who knew it because she was going to be in a music video with A.N.JELL?"
Ha-neul was unaware that someone in the crowd had recognized her. Everyone was there to see A.N.JELL in person; all she had to do was mind her own business and focus on doing a good job. Still, the idea of making her way through that madness was intimidating, and she knew she wouldn't have looked so self-assured if she hadn't had Jim Morrison crooning in her ear.
She's walking down the street
Blind to every eye she meets
Do you think you can be the guy
To make the queen of the angels sigh? ...
The security guard escorted her to the dressing area, where Ha-neul changed into her costume, a more feminine version of Mi-nam's getup. Once she was dressed, she went over to hair and makeup, where she was hustled into a chair next to Mi-nam, who was getting his hair styled while his bandmates kept him company.
"Ha-neul! You look amazing!" Jeremy exclaimed as he whipped out his cell phone. "Let me take a picture of you for our homepage."
"No!" Ha-neul gasped. "They're still fixing me up."
"That's OK; it's a 'behind the scenes' picture. I want our fans to see what it's like on the set of our new video."
"Besides, you look fine," Shin-woo assured her.
Even Tae-kyung offered some support. "At least you're not wearing curlers in your hair," he said with a snicker.
"She'll be wearing a helmet for most of this sequence, so it doesn't make sense to give her an elaborate hairstyle," Stylist Wang said as she ran a brush through Ha-neul's long hair. "But still, I'm so happy I have a girl to dress for this video. It's like having my own living Barbie doll."
"Yeah, one that's even bigger than you," Mi-nam chuckled, squinting against the blast of the blow-dryer. Of all the A.N.JELL boys, only Tae-kyung came close to being as tall as Ha-neul in her high-heeled boots (and that was thanks to his hair). "It's a good thing we'll be sitting down in all our scenes. Ow!" he yelped when the object of his teasing took advantage of her long legs and gave him a not-so-gentle nudge with her foot.
"That serves you right," Stylist Wang told him. "Now stop picking on her so I can finish and the shooting can begin."
"Yes, noona." As instructed, Mi-nam behaved himself until their call time. He even gave Ha-neul a charming smile and helped her out of her chair. "Shall we?"
Shin-woo sidled up to Ha-neul as they all walked towards the set together. "Remember," he said to her, "it's just like a very long TV commercial."
She took a deep breath and squared her shoulders. "I can do this," she told herself.
He smiled and gave her a friendly pat on the shoulder. "I know you can. Good luck."
There wasn't much acting to do in this sequence; all Ha-neul really had to do was not fall off the back of the motorcycle, whip off her helmet with a cool smile and hang out with Mi-nam and the extras in the scene. Nevertheless, she did her best and made minimal mistakes, and the director seemed pleased with her efforts. "You're doing a very good job, Ha-neul," he told her when they broke for lunch.
"Thank you, Director Lee," she answered with a smile.
A production assistant came forward with a bottle of water and Ha-neul's bag. Ha-neul thanked the young man and had just slung the bag over her shoulder, ready to go to lunch, when it began to vibrate.
"Where are you?" Su-jin asked when she answered her phone. "Are you done shooting yet?"
"Hi, Su-jin. We're done for now and are about to have lunch. Where are you?"
"I'm here, outside the set! I read on the A.N.JELL website that you were shooting here today and thought I'd try to visit!"
"Oh! That would be great!" Ha-neul hurried towards the crowd of fans she had seen earlier.
The girls spotted each other quickly and Ha-neul got her friend past security. "She's my personal assistant," she told the guard, and hustled her friend away before the man could question Su-jin about her bank employee uniform.
"This is so cool!" Su-jin exclaimed as they walked, goggling at the equipment and racks of costumes. "You look great, too. Are all the A.N.JELL members here?"
As if in answer to her question, someone called Ha-neul's name. Mi-nam was waving to her from a table, at which he sat with the rest of his bandmates. "Come eat with us!"
Smiling, Ha-neul nodded and the girls went to get food from the buffet lunch that had been set up for the performers and crew. "Hi, guys," she greeted them as they approached the table. "You remember Su-jin, right?"
"Of course, she's your friend from the concert." Shin-woo nodded and smiled in greeting. The other boys did the same - except for Jeremy, who scowled, perhaps remembering the set-down Su-jin had given him that night. However, the blond young man didn't protest when the others made space at the table so that the girls could join them.
Su-jin was full of questions about the video, which kept Ha-neul and the boys busy either answering her questions or being evasive when she asked about what the rest of the video was going to be like, which the band's management had told them not to discuss. They were able to confirm that each band member would have his own segment with Ha-neul in the video, but couldn't give out any additional details.
"Well, I think it's great that you're going to have a big part in this video," Su-jin told her friend proudly. "I'm excited to be able to tell people that you're my best friend!"
"You mean you were never excited to tell people that before?" Ha-neul joked.
The other girl gave her a playful smack on the arm, and then gasped. "Hey, when that video gets uploaded online, you should send the link to Cicero!"
That got the guys' attention. "Cicero?" Mi-nam repeated with a quizzical arch of an eyebrow.
"Just a friend from the Olympics," Ha-neul explained. She could feel her face grow warm and, conscious that they were all looking at her keenly, hoped it wasn't obvious through the stage makeup.
"He was the most handsome guy on the Spanish men's basketball team," Su-jin sighed, and sent her friend a sideways glance. "And out of all the girls making fools of themselves over him, he became close to Ha-neul."
"Well, there was never anything between us other than friendship," Ha-neul clarified, praying all the while that someone would change the subject. "Mostly, he was helping me improve my hook shot."
"He did have the most beautiful hook shot," Su-jin said dreamily.
"Did it work?" Jeremy asked.
That seemed to distract Su-jin from the subject of Cicero and the dreamy smile on her face crumpled into a scowl. "Of course it did! What is it with you and girls who play basketball?"
Embarrassed, Ha-neul hastened to smooth things over. "Su-jin, calm down. Jeremy was-"
If there was one thing that "Jeremy was," it was spoiling for a fight. "I just don't think girls should play sports where they could hurt themselves, that's all!" he retorted. "I'm just trying to be gentlemanly here!"
"Well, you're not being gentlemanly," Su-jin told him. "You're being chauvinistic, and I've had it. I'm challenging you to a basketball game. Two-on-two," she went on. "Me and Ha-neul against you and anyone you want."
Ha-neul's jaw dropped at suddenly being included, but she didn't contradict her friend. "Sorry, Jeremy," she said instead, "but Su-jin has a point." She was proud of being a basketball player, and it had been a while since she had the opportunity to play alongside any of her old teammates.
"Even if you get Ham Ji-hoon to play on your team," Su-jin told Jeremy, "I promise we're going to give you a good fight. Maybe we'll even win." The entire point of the challenge was to prove that girls could be competitive at contact sports; winning would be nice, but it would just be icing on the cake.
The blond boy smirked at the "maybe." "You're on!"
That very night, Jeremy made the rounds among his bandmates, trying to find a teammate for Su-jin's challenge. "You can't be serious," was Tae-kyung's response to the invitation.
"Of course I'm serious, hyung! Will you be my teammate?" he wheedled. At Jeremy's side, Angelina Jolie wagged her tail and eyed Tae-kyung soulfully.
Unmoved by the matching dog-and-master puppydog eyes, the vocalist turned a page in the magazine he was reading. "No."
"But, hyung, don't you want to help me prove that men are better than women?"
"Don't you remember, Jeremy? Tae-kyung's allergic to perspiration," Mi-nam reminded his bandmate. Tae-kyung's eyes narrowed at the ridiculous statement, but he said nothing; he could afford to let Jeremy believe that for a while, especially if it was going to keep him out of that crazy challenge.
Jeremy turned to Mi-nam with a hopeful expression on his face. "What about you, Mi-nam? Will you be my teammate?"
He chuckled and shook his head. "Sorry, Jeremy, but I'm not going anywhere near those girls when they have those looks on their faces."
"Hmph!" Jeremy sniffed disdainfully, sounding every bit like his aristocratic English ancestors. "You're too short, anyway. Where's Shin-woo hyung?"
Shin-woo was out on the upper deck of the house with his guitar in his lap, trying to compose a song. This wasn't the addition that Tae-kyung had requested for "Can't Wait," which he had already finished, but a song of his own. He didn't really have an idea of how he wanted the song to sound yet, knowing only that he wanted to write one. Hopefully, it would be good enough to be included in the upcoming album.
Jeremy and Jolie came upon Shin-woo as he was picking out random notes on the strings. "Shin-woo hyung, will you be my teammate?"
"What's the matter?" Shin-woo teased, giving Jolie an affectionale scratch behind the ears. "Did Ham Ji-hoon say no?"
"Actually, he was begging me to let him play," Jeremy bantered back, "but I turned him down. I figured I would do better if I had someone I knew and trusted on my side."
"Have you asked the others?"
"Yeah, but Tae-kyung hyung is allergic to sweat or something, and Mi-nam's scared of Su-jin. What's so scary about her? She's small and loud, and... that's it." He wiped the distasteful frown off his face. "Anyway, hyung, after I asked them, I realized that you were the best choice anyway."
Shin-woo arched an eyebrow. "Oh, yeah? Why am I the best choice?"
"Well, for one thing, you're taller than Mi-nam," Jeremy began, ticking off the reasons on his fingers. He had obviously given some thought to his sales pitch. "And you're better at sports than Tae-kyung hyung. You're pretty good when we play basketball against our backup dancers. Then, like I said, we're in a band together so I know we would play well as a team. And," he finished triumphantly, "since you and Ha-neul knew each other when you were kids, you should be able to defend against her well!"
"But I've never played basketball against Ha-neul," Shin-woo pointed out. "And we knew each other a very long time ago. I'm not familiar with the way she plays."
"Still, you're the best choice for my team," Jeremy insisted. "Come on, won't you be my teammate?"
Jolie rested her head on Shin-woo's knee and let out a pleading whine. That made him chuckle; he was sure Jeremy would do the same thing if he thought it would help his case. Fortunately, there was no need to go that far. "OK," Shin-woo said finally. "It's nice to be the best choice for once."
The second day of shooting, during which two segments were scheduled to be filmed, was held at the mansion where the A.N.JELL members all lived. The first, starring Tae-kyung, was to be filmed in the sunken music room, which was dominated by the white baby grand piano on which the A.N.JELL vocalist had written a fair number of the band's hit songs.
Stylist Wang clapped delightedly as she ushered Ha-neul onto the set. "You look so beautiful!"
Ha-neul had to agree. Unlike the first segment, where she had worn stylish yet still rugged motorcycle gear, today she was wearing a white dress trimmed with a black sash, and matching high heels. Simple diamond jewelry and small flowers in her hair completed the look. It was feminine but not fussy, which she liked a lot. "Well, it's all thanks to you, Stylist Wang."
"Call me unni," the stylist reminded her. "And yes, I know." She preened visibly. "This segment is going to be fabulous!"
"Oh, Ha-neul, you look so beautiful!" Jeremy exclaimed when he saw her. The boys had been standing with Tae-kyung, who was also dressed in black and white, waiting for the shooting to begin. They, too, looked her over appreciatively, which made Ha-neul blush.
Jeremy reached out a hand to help her down the steps, but Director Lee intercepted her before she could go any further. "Listen, everyone," he announced. "This segment will be a simple one, so I want every move to be perfect! In this scene, we start with Ha-neul making her way down the stairs. Ha-neul, you'll walk over to the piano, where you'll watch Tae-kyung play music for you-"
"Sounds like that fanfic I read yesterday," Jeremy commented to the others. "Except Shin-woo hyung was the one doing the watching."
"The feel we're going for here is elegant and graceful," the director went on. "We don't have lots of extras or flashy effects in this scene, so it's you, the actors, who have to make it work. Now, places! Aaaand... action!"
Praying that she wouldn't fall flat on her face in front of everyone and in such a pretty outfit, Ha-neul walked down the steps and over to the piano, stopping at the spot that Director Lee had indicated. The camera moved across the doorway to reveal Tae-kyung already seated at the instrument. "Any requests?" he asked her with the friendliest smile she had ever seen on him. (That was probably all thanks to the fact that they were being filmed. Since the song would be the only sound heard on the video, it was their actions and facial expressions that was most important.)
"Hmmm... how about 'Let It Be'?" Ha-neul suggested.
He nodded approvingly and started to play. "That's a good song."
"It's one of my favorites."
"Lean a bit on the piano," Director Lee instructed.
"The guitar solo in the original is amazing." She draped herself over the piano, trying to make it look graceful. "I think it was interesting that George Harrison was the Beatle who didn't say much, but-" Suddenly, she frowned. "I'm sorry, could we stop filming for a minute?"
"Cut!" the director said. "What's wrong, Ha-neul?"
"These heels are pretty, but they're making me too tall," she complained. "I feel like I'm going to fall onto the piano." They were making her feet hurt, too. She kicked them off and leaned on the piano again. "That's much better."
"Wait!" Director Lee exclaimed, rushing onto the set. "Why don't you remove your shoes when you reach the bottom of the stairs? I think it would add a casual, intimate touch to this scene. Otherwise it would be really formal and boring. What do you think?"
Ha-neul, of course, was all for it. Kicking off her shoes on-camera was fun and helped relax her for the rest of the scene. "Same song?" Tae-kyung asked when she again took her place beside the piano.
"Yes, please," she answered with a smile.
"You were saying something about George Harrison?" he reminded her as he began to play.
"Oh, just that he was the quiet one in the band, but his guitar playing said so much about him. At least," she added bashfully, "that's what I think. I mean, what do I really know about music, right?"
"It makes sense to me," Tae-kyung assured her with another friendly smile, his fingers not faltering over the keys.
"All right, Ha-neul, just watch Tae-kyung sing and play the piano for a while," Director Lee instructed them. "Don't forget to look like you're having fun!"
That wasn't difficult. Even though she wasn't an expert, it was obvious to Ha-neul that the A.N.JELL vocalist was a talented and passionate musician. Part of his happy demeanor was due to what was required for the video, but she could tell that it was also because he loved what he did, and it was fun to watch him enjoy something that much.
Standing with the rest of his bandmates, Shin-woo watched Ha-neul lean on the piano and smile as she watched Tae-kyung play. The look on her face didn't sit well with him for some reason. Was it just him, or did it look very much like the one Mi-nyeo had worn whenever she looked at Tae-kyung?
Director Lee was happy with the footage they had shot, so they finished the scene before lunch. After a break, they started setting up for the next segment, the baking scene with Jeremy that would be filmed in the mansion's spacious kitchen. "I asked if we could include Angelina Jolie in this scene, and Director Lee said yes," Jeremy told Ha-neul happily as Stylist Wang and her assistants put the finishing touches on their outfits. Although Ha-neul had liked the outfit she had worn for the piano scene, she was much more comfortable in the colorful, casual clothes that she was now wearing.
"Angelina Jolie?" she repeated, surprised. "If you were going to have her in this video, why did you need to cast me?"
"Because Jolie can only be in my scene," he answered seriously. "She loves only me."
Ha-neul laughed when "Angelina Jolie" turned out to be a dog. However, like her namesake, the golden retriever was born to be a star. Jolie insisted on supervising her and Jeremy as they measured out and mixed ingredients, and joining in the fun when Jeremy, deciding that he would rather play than work, started a playful food fight. Since she had to stay seated so as not to appear taller than Jeremy, Ha-neul couldn't retaliate much. She found it difficult to concentrate on following the recipe when her partners in baking were being so distracting, but thought this segment was a lot of fun, too.
"Fantastic!" Director Lee cried as the three of them took bites of the cupcakes they had baked, which had turned out quite well despite all the silliness, and Jeremy dabbed frosting on Ha-neul's nose. "That's a wrap! Thank you, everyone; we'll see you on Saturday."
Ha-neul's phone began to vibrate as she wiped off the makeup, flour and cake batter on her face. She pulled it out of her pocket to see that she had received a text message from Su-jin. "Su-jin said she'll be here in a few minutes," she announced.
Jeremy's friendly grin disappeared as he remembered that their basketball game was set to take place that day. "Now that we're finished having fun," he said, "it's time to get serious. Prepare to be humiliated!"
Ha-neul laughed. Besides knowing the importance of keeping her cool before a game, she also knew that annoying Jeremy would work in her team's favor. She swiped a last bit of frosting from the mixing bowl and smeared it on his cheek. "Unless you did manage to get Ham Ji-hoon to play on your team, you should probably follow your own advice," she told him, and flounced off to change her clothes.
The two-on-two basketball challenge was held in the gym in the back of the house, which boasted a half-court as well as state-of-the-art exercise equipment. Tae-kyung, Mi-nam and Jolie sat on the sidelines with A.N.JELL's handler, Ma Hoon-yi, who had insisted on attending. "Are you sure this is safe?" the plump older man asked for the millionth time. Since they were his responsibility, the idea of any of them getting hurt (and subsequently having to answer to President Ahn) made him very nervous.
"Manager Ma, they're girls!" Jeremy scoffed. "How hard could this be?"
"Let's not get too confident," Shin-woo cautioned him. "They may be girls, but they're also Olympic athletes, so we should still try our best."
Just then, the door to the gym opened. "Ta-daaa!" Stylist Wang sang out as she entered, holding out her arms in a dramatic flourish and sashaying across the hardwood floor, heralding the arrival of the opposing team.
Behind him, Shin-woo heard Mi-nam let out a low whistle. "I'm glad I'm not playing," the keyboardist murmured.
The girl who earlier that day had worn pretty clothes and flirted for the camera was gone, and so was her bubbly best friend. Walking towards them were two battle-ready women athletes wearing matching businesslike expressions and navy blue basketball jerseys. The jerseys had the word "KOREA" emblazoned in big white letters across the front. Shin-woo had to admit that it looked pretty intimidating, but he steeled his resolve. This, he thought, is not the time to be afraid... or charitable towards Ha-neul just because she's a girl.
"What are you doing here?" Manager Ma asked the stylist as she joined him and the band on the sidelines.
She smacked the back of his head. "You're looking after the boys, I'm looking after the girls." She gave Jeremy and Shin-woo a warning glare. "If Ha-neul gets even the slightest scratch, that's extra work for me!"
The girls dropped their sports bags on a spot near the baseline. Su-jin dropped her game face long enough to give the other A.N.JELL members a friendly smile, then turned back to Jeremy. "Are we doing this or what?" she demanded as Ha-neul bent down to adjust the brace around her left knee.
"Of course we are!" he retorted, then turned to Shin-woo. "Let's do this."
To Jeremy's delight, the boys drew first blood when Shin-woo scored a basket in the first few minutes of play. Shin-woo didn't gloat over it as much as his teammate did, but he did allow himself a small smile when he faced Ha-neul again. He couldn't quite explain it, but he derived some satisfaction from making that shot. Probably because she's an Olympic athlete, he told himself. The only fly in the ointment was that Ha-neul didn't seem to be affected at all; in fact, neither did Su-jin, even though Jeremy did a fair bit of crowing in her face.
Later, Shin-woo realized that the girls had lulled them into a false sense of security; after the first timeout, they suddenly clamped down on defense. It was as though they had been scouting the boys early in the game, and because he and Jeremy had pulled out all the stops to try and intimidate their opponents, the girls now knew precisely how to shut them down.
Su-jin got her revenge on Jeremy when she stripped him of the ball and proceeded to sink a perfect three-point shot over the blond boy's head. "You should score first," she advised him helpfully, "and then you smile."
With a growl, he retrieved the basketball and managed to pass it to Shin-woo, who attempted a shot... only to have Ha-neul swat it soundly away. The next time Shin-woo faced her, she gave him the same small smile he had given her earlier.
That smile appeared again and again with every basket and defensive stop that she made. Jeremy would kill him if he knew, but Shin-woo found himself thinking about it as he stared at the nape of Ha-neul's neck, trying to defend against her on her way to the basket. As a result, he was a moment too late when she suddenly spun around and launched a hook shot.
The ball dropped neatly into the net and Ha-neul allowed herself a small whoop of triumph. Su-jin, grinning, offered her a high-five. "You should definitely e-mail Cicero about that!"
Ha-neul grinned back. "Maybe I will."
"Now, I'm really glad I'm not playing," Mi-nam remarked as the boys called for a time-out.
"I'm sorry, Jeremy," Shin-woo apologized when they were in huddle. "I'm not playing very well today."
Being the nice guy that he was, Jeremy forgave him. "No, you're doing great, Shin-woo hyung," he assured him. "It's just harder for you because Ha-neul is so tall." Jeremy had the obvious height advantage over Su-jin, but all the girl had to do to get around that was pass to Ha-neul, who took care of the rest.
"But we can't let them win," the blond boy went on. "They're leading by ten points, but there's still time to catch up."
Shin-woo glanced at the girls, who were strategizing with intent looks on their faces. "What do you suggest we do?"
"Don't let Ha-neul score another basket," his teammate answered. "Hold her down if you have to."
He frowned. "Isn't that against the rules?"
"So?" Jeremy scoffed. "They're girls. Do you think they're going to fight back?"
"Are you guys ready to give up?" Su-jin asked as the girls re-entered the court. She didn't look at all like she was gloating, but it was obvious that she was enjoying this.
"No way!" Jeremy told her.
"OK, then." Since Ha-neul scored before the time-out, it was the boys' turn to take possession of the ball. Su-jin sent him a hard chest pass. "We'll keep going until you admit defeat."
"We'll see who admits defeat!"
Jeremy passed the ball to Shin-woo so that they could inbound under the basket. Shin-woo kicked it back out to Jeremy, and the girls moved in to defend and keep them from passing. Ha-neul, of course, tried to jostle Shin-woo out of position, but as the boys had planned, Shin-woo tried to limit her movements as well.
It had just registered to him that he actually had his arms around Ha-neul when pain unexpectedly exploded in his stomach. "Aaaah!" he cried and fell to the ground, gasping for air.
"Hyung!" Jeremy screeched, flinging the ball away and rushing to his side. "Are you OK? Speak to me!"
"Don't be such a baby," Ha-neul said as she walked up to the pair. "I barely hit you!"
"But you did hit me!" Shin-woo wheezed.
"Well, you were holding me," she retorted, but held out a hand. "Come on, get up and let's finish this game."
"No, no, no!" Manager Ma edged into Shin-woo's view. "I'm sorry, but this has to stop right now. I can't afford to let any of the boys get seriously hurt!"
"They wouldn't get seriously hurt if they kept their hands to themselves!" Stylist Wang told him, throwing one of her bracelets at his head.
Su-jin, however, decided not to argue. "We were winning, anyway," she said with a queenly wave of her hand. "So I guess we can consider this a victory for the women. Come on, Ha-neul."
Ha-neul waited for a moment to see if Shin-woo would take the hand she offered, but when he didn't, she sighed and followed her friend to where they had left their things.
"That could have been one of us, brother-in-law," Mi-nam said to Tae-kyung as Manager Ma and Jeremy helped Shin-woo out of the gym.
"Thank God it wasn't."
The moment she got home, Ha-neul went straight to her room and closed the door before collapsing on her bed in a mortified heap. "Oh, my God," she whimpered into her pillow.
That was a great way to leave an impression, So Ha-neul - with your elbow!
It was pure instinct! I do that to any opponent who tries to shut me down, especially illegally. I wasn't going to let him do that just because-
Ha-neul squeezed her eyes shut and took several deep breaths to clear her head. There was no undoing the past, she told herself. What was done was done, and the important thing now was to figure out how to act around him on the next day of shooting, during which they would film Shin-woo's segment in the video.
Oh, why didn't we shoot that segment before all of this happened?
Focus, Ha-neul.
She couldn't act as though nothing had happened; he had been hurt and it would be callous to ignore that. On the other hand, Ha-neul refused to act as though she was entirely at fault; she had hit him, but she had been provoked into doing it. The best thing to do, she decided, was to wait first and gauge Shin-woo's mood. If he was open to discussing the matter, they would talk it over like adults, but she could just joke about it, too, if that was what he wanted. Above it all, she had to remind him that it was just a game and they were supposed to be friends.
Yes, that sounds like a good plan.
She sighed and thought about how Shin-woo hadn't taken her hand when she had offered to help him up. I hope he doesn't hate me.