Behind the Scenes
Leader X Maknae: A Series of JiTzu OneshotsSummary: A behind the scenes look at the filming of TeuDoong Entertainment and the relationship of a certain couple.
Tzuyu wasn’t sure if she was reading the script right.
Role models? Her singing praises to Jihyo? Basically sounding like she has a crush on their leader? Since when was her character so bold?
She was sure this wasn’t what they discussed just a week earlier. They were supposed to be talking about the concerns they have in their jobs and she’s pretty sure that having a crush wasn’t hers… right?
She let go of the script, burying her face into her hands in an attempt to ease the coming headache. She just couldn’t believe this was happening.
Her mind raced, searching through her memory,trying to pinpoint when and how the change could have been made. It had to have happened within the past few days. She’s confident that the last script they had didn’t have this.
And then it hit her.
There was a meeting three days ago, one Jihyo was should have attended but couldn't because of a scheduling conflict which resulted in someone else attending in her place instead. And she’s pretty sure that it was this exact person who was behind all this.
She rushed over to the biggest room in their dorm, knowing that’s where the culprit was at. She doesn’t knock on the door, simply storming in in her rage. And there she found her, alone in the room and on her phone, almost as if she saw this coming, much to the annoyance of the youngest.
“Nayeon unnie…” she hissed, stopping by the side of Nayeon’s bed and staring down at the oldest member. “It was you, wasn’t it?” she questioned. But Nayeon was Nayeon, and while she was a great older sister figure when she needed to be, she was also exceptionally good at getting under the member’s skin.
She took a brief glance up at Tzuyu, innocently batting her eyelashes, giving her a sickeningly sweet (and clearly fake) smile along with a casual “I don’t know what you mean” before turning back to her phone. A move which only irritated the younger girl further.
Pinching the bridge of her nose, she took a deep breath to control herself. “Did you change my part of the script?” she asked between gritted teeth.
“Oh that. Yeah, I did. And Jihyo's too. The directors were saying it wasn’t interesting enough so I decided to spice it up a little.” Nayeon shrugged, eyes still trained onto her phone. “And as far as I know, since it’s been approved, they must like it.”
“Besides,” she raised an eyebrow. “You’re both dating right? What’s there to worry about?”
“Yes but- “
“And since you’re a couple, I’m sure you’ve both said and done things like this before.”
“… yes… well, no… not exactly… but…”
“Then there’s nothing for you to worry about right? There’s nothing wrong with it at all.”
“I KNOW!” she yelled, finally letting her frustrations be heard. Nayeon flinched, dropping her phone, surprised by the intensity of the reaction but guilty at the thought of pushing the youngest so far. “I know.”
“I just… I don’t know if I’ll be able to do this. Jihyo unnie and I… we’ve never been known to be very affectionate with each other on or off screen. And I can’t help but wonder if it’s because of something I did.”
Sighing, Tzuyu sank down onto the older girl’s bed, head bowed and hands resting against her lap, watching her fingers clench and unclench.
“It’s just hard for me to do this kind of things. She’s my first real girlfriend and I know she loves me and I love her but I can barely tell her I love her without freaking out and avoiding her for hours. Heck, we’ve been together for months and we’ve barely kissed because she’s worried about making me uncomfortable.”
“I really really love her and I really want to show her that I do but I just have no idea how to. And now I can’t help but think that maybe I just rushed into this without thinking about her feelings and now I’m holding her back from all the love she actually deserves.”
Her words send a pang of guilt through the eldest. Nayeon took a seat beside the younger girl, taking her hands in hers. “Look Tzuyu, I’m sorry I did all that. I didn’t think… I didn’t know that you would feel that way,” she apologised. “But listen to me: you’ve got to talk to Jihyo about this.”
“First of all, you’re definitely not moving too fast. You’ve both known each other for years before you became official, and we all know that the both of you have been basically crushing on each other since you both laid eyes on each other. You’re just afraid and it’s okay.”
“And secondly, I’ve known Jihyo for years so trust me when I say she’s head over heels for you and is willing to wait for you. She loves you for being you and would never ever want to do anything that would make you to feel even the slightest bit uncomfortable. She’s just as new at this as you are and you’ve got to talk to her about how both of you feel.”
“Thanks unnie.” Tzuyu finally smiled, feeling like a weight had been taken off her shoulders. “I’m sorry too unnie. For shouting and stuff.”
Nayeon returned her smile, pulling Tzuyu into her arms. “Relationships aren’t always about physicalities you know? Sometimes they’re made up of stolen glances and subtle touches. Just like you and Jihyo. Though, if you really want to be more intimate with her then just go for it. But promise me that you’ll talk to her alright?”
“Also…” Nayeon added. “I know this shoot is going to let you ogle her and give her heart eyes in the public, but please keep it to a minimum. We still need to keep this low key you know.”
Tzuyu rolled her eyes at the comment, though the tips of her lips curled into a smirk . Getting up, she made her way to the door, stopping right before she closed it behind her.
“Good luck with Jihyo unnie later. She’s definitely going to give you a harder time than I did,” she said with a smirk, taking pleasure in the way Nayeon paled as they both hear the main door slam open and a familiar “NAYEON UNNIE” echo through the dorm.
Tzuyu knew she could trust her girlfriend to get revenge for the both of them. And as much as she wishes to join her, right now, she had to mentally prepare herself for what was to come in the morning.
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Jihyo wonders if it is possible for someone to be this pure.
Having ended her solo shoot earlier than the rest of the group, she decided to make her rounds and take a peek at how her members were doing before she was needed for the group shots. Well, that’s what she claims to be doing at least.
Everyone knew it was just an excuse for her to go over and watch their youngest.
Jihyo had always been one to care too much. She worries a lot about those she loves though she also wasn’t one to openly display her affections. So instead of going over onto the shooting site to watch her girlfriend work, she chooses instead to stick close to the walls and hopefully, out of everyone’s sight.
“Actually, Jihyo is my role model,” she hears the youngest say, blushing despite knowing the scripted nature of those lines. It’s rare to hear Tzuyu say these things aloud like this.
“Aww. How adorable.”
Jihyo jumps back in shock, a hand flying up to her chest in an attempt to calm her racing heart as a pair of arms began wrapping themselves around her. She pouts when she sees just who had snuck up on her. “Sana, don’t sneak up on me like that!” she whines, slapping the older girl on the arms.
“What are you doing here anyways?” she grumbles, surrendering to Sana’s grabby hands and letting the older girl hug the life out of her.
“I’m doing what you’re doing,” Sana muses, elaborating further when she catches the puzzled look the leader was sending her. “Nayeon unnie is filming next door so I went over to watch her. What kind of girlfriend would I be if I missed it right?”
Jihyo raises at eyebrow at that. “Then shouldn’t you be there with her?” Sana grins, resting her head against the smaller girl’s shoulder. “She kicked me off the set for being ‘so hot, it’s distracting.’ Her words, not mine.”
The leader tries to say something before she could get any words out, she hears Tzuyu’s speak. “She’s so charismatic and such a great leader," her girlfriend says and the words fluster her enough to stop her, making the Japanese companion shake her head and grin almost evilly.
“She’s a cute one, isn’t she?” Sana teases nudging Jihyo who nods, the blush on her cheeks turning another shade darker.
“You know you two have to be the most awkward couple I’ve ever seen and it’s funny because everyone can see how much you both love each other, but you two are so shy around each other that it makes me wonder how you two even got together in the first place.”
“I know,” Jihyo sighs. “But we’re not you and Nayeon unnie; we’re nowhere close to being as affectionate as you two are. I want to be close to her, to hold her and kiss her too but I know she’s uncomfortable with it and I don’t want to pressure her into it.”
“Well, you’re right about us, but that doesn’t mean we had it easy in the beginning either. Sure, we love teasing the members but it’s different when you’re doing it with someone you love. We weren’t as awkward as you two, but we were close.”
Sana pulls away from their hug to look Jihyo in the eye. “And knowing Tzuyu, she’s probably just scared about all this. I wouldn’t be surprised if this is the first real relationship she’s been in. Make sure she isn’t beating herself up over this.”
“Anyways, I’m going to go find Nayeon. We have to shoot our part soon.” She gives Jihyo's shoulders one last squeeze. “Talk to her Hyo. It’ll be good for the both of you.”
“And just so you know,” Sana says over her shoulder as she runs off. “A few ‘I love yous’ here and there won’t do you any harm.”
Jihyo stares on at Sana’s retreating back before turning her attention back to her girlfriend. The older girl's words keep nagging at the back of her mind, making her sigh.
Do they really need to talk about this?
"She's always taking care of me a-and...” she hears Tzuyu falter for a moment and Jihyo realises that she must have been caught when her eyes catch Tzuyu’s though just for a split second and the tips of the youngest’s ears go red.
“Isn’t she really cool?” she continues despite the cheeks glowing pink out of shyness and Jihyo just can't help but giggle at her cuteness.
The staff laugh too, the director playfully teasing Tzuyu for her blunder while a manager jokingly shoos Jihyo off the set, chiding her for distracting the youngest.
As discreet as the girls have tried to be, their staff has worked with them long enough to know what goes on around the group and they had nothing against it. And while they hadn’t said anything, they had seen Jihyo step into the room and had definitely expected this to happen.
The solo shoot continue on, finishing without any other issues. However, the same can’t be said for the group shots.
“ACTION!” the director yells and the cameras start rolling. Jihyo is on her laptop, waiting for Tzuyu to round the corner and for the scene to play out. A crash resounds around the room as the files slip onto the floor when Tzuyu pretends to trip and lose her hold on them.
That was her signal.
“Manager Tzu! Are you alright?” she says just as the script has said, but has to purse her lips as she holds back her laughter. Tzuyu wasn’t faring any better. She too had to fight back her giggles, both of them ultimately failing when they double over and send everyone else on set into a fit of laughter.
Between laughs, the director manages to call out a ‘cut!’ while those on set struggled to compose themselves. When they do, Jihyo moves over to Tzuyu’s side to help her with her props, collecting the scattered papers so she could hand them over to the younger girl.
When they’re hands brush over each other, Jihyo lets her hands linger for a bit longer. It's not much but it makes Tzuyu blush and smile up at her. It makes her heart flutter, but it also ached knowing that things like these were as far as they could go even with their official status.
She got back up with a sigh when the director signals for them to continue. With her messy head, it takes them another three shots before they succeed and Jihyo wonders if maybe, Sana was right after all.
The two of them really need to talk things out.
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“Thank you for all your hard work.” With a bow, they thank the staff and officially ending the shoot.
Changing out of their outfits and packing up their belongings, the members pile into the van, wanting nothing more than to go home to the dorms for some rest and relaxation. Tzuyu lingers behind, waiting patiently while Jihyo was off in the corner in discussions with the director as per usual.
“Did you wait long?” she asks and Tzuyu shakes her head with a smile which Jihyo returns as they walk side by side towards their van.
The younger girl couldn’t help but stare at their hands, so close to brushing against each other but doesn’t do anything. They walk in silence, an awkward sort of tension surrounding them. But even with the occasional quick glances, they say nothing to one another.
And being so lost in her thoughts, she fails to notice the loose tile on the floor. “Tzuyu! Watch out!” she hears but she’s already falling. Her eyes shut close as she closely approaches the floor, bracing for an impact that never arrives.
“Are you alright?” Jihyo asks and Tzuyu opens her eyes to see the older girl’s face just inches from hers, her arms tightly around her. Her face heats up, cheeks reddening as Jihyo helps her up and begins fussing over her, searching for any sign of injuries.
“Unnie, you’re too close,” Tzuyu stutters and Jihyo snapping out of her concerned state finally notices the lack of distance between their faces. She mutters an apology as she helps the younger girl up.
“You know,” Jihyo clears . “Sana spoke to me earlier and she made some pretty good points and some that I don’t completely agree with. But they all made sense and- ”
“Unnie, you’re rambling,” Tzuyu points out, face full of concern over the way her girlfriend was acting.
“I guess I just want you to know that it’s cool that we’re taking things slow and I’m still willing to wait and all but- ”
“I love you,” Tzuyu cuts her off, her proclamation surprising the other girl.
“Nayeon unnie and I spoke too.” Tzuyu admits. “She told me that it was okay to take our time and figure out where our relationship is going… ” She pauses to take hold of her lover’s hands with a smile.
“But I don’t want it to keep being this way. I want to try. For you.”
Jihyo returns her smile and tightens her grip on her hand. “You don’t know how long I’ve been waiting to hear that.”
“I am curious about one thing though.” Jihyo says, a playful grin already forming on her lips. “Have you always been this clumsy around me?” she teases, prompting Tzuyu to roll her eyes.
If Jihyo thought she could keep teasing her like this, she was dead wrong. Two could play at that game and she wasn’t going to take this one sitting down.
“Must be the suit,” Tzuyu says, trying her hand at a little bit of flirting. She reaches behind Jihyo pretending to fix her collar, purposefully letting her fingers graze against the skin of her neck. “I think I finally see why the fans have been calling you CEO Park.”
Jihyo's eyes widen, flustered by her girlfriend’s advances and for a moment Tzuyu wonders if she’s messed up. Then the older girl smirks and she gets the feeling that she hasn’t screwed up after all.
“Getting brave, are we?” Jihyo flirted back. “Who knew that sweet innocent Chou Tzuyu had this side to her.” She stares Tzuyu in the eye as she speaks and the younger girl can’t seem to tear her gaze away except to stare at her lips.
”Can I kiss you?” she whispers. "I just really want to kiss you right now." She gulps as Tzuyu’s lips part and she readies herself for the rejection.
A rejection that never comes
“Just kiss already,” Sana hollers from across the room, an equally loud Nayeon cheering alongside her. The interruption forces them apart and leaves them unable to look at the duo or each other. Thankfully for them, Mina pops in to drag the older couple away, sending them an apologetic yet knowing smile before the three disappear round the corner.
Seconds pass and the two remain frozen in their places. Any hint of their prior confidence lost due to the interruption. Their gazes fleet between each other and the empty floor before them until Jihyo decided to break the ice,
“S-so about that kiss… “ she stammers out, fiddling with her fingers out of nervousness. “I mean you don’t have to if you don’t want to or anything but if you do then I’m alright with that too. Not that I’m forcing you or anything. And I’m rambling again but- ”
Tzuyu raises an eyebrow at the older girl’s behaviour, still somewhat unsure of how she should proceed with all this, but ultimately leans in, bending down to Jihyo's level, stopping only inches away and throws the older girl off guard.
“Wait, Tzuyu. A-are you sure about this? You don’t have to do anything you’re not ready for.”
She moves in some more, pressing their foreheads together. “Weren’t you planning on heeding Sana unnie’s advice?” she asks, and it was enough Jihyo throws all caution to the wind.
Their lips meet, softly at first then deepening as they lose themselves in each other before they pull away, breathless as though all wind had been knocked from their lungs.
“Was that okay?” she breathes but Tzuyu was already moving in for a second one and the two wonder what they were so worried about in the first place. One thing for sure though was that there were bound to get more intimate with time.
And maybe they could get used to that.
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