Nice To Meet You

Chances Are

"And CUT!!" yelled the PD.

"And it's a wrap. Everyone did a great job today, well done!" he enthused.

"I expect everyone to be here on time tomorrow. Please grab your instructions from my assistant before you leave.  Good night."

It was a long day but I'm glad I survived my first day of filming.  I still felt woozy from the long flight. Honestly, I probably wouldn't have survived the day if not for -Him.

A month ago, I signed up to be part of this international reality show.  I was enjoying my afternoon tea at home when the official announcement was aired.

"Breaking News.  MBC, a major television network in South Korea, has announced that it is going to begin filming the global version of We Got Married.  The show will feature two female international stars and two local male artists.  Confirmed for the roles are 2pm's Beast Idol and heartthrob Ok Taecyeon and FT Islands Lee Hongki.  Taiwanese actress Wu Ying Jei, more popularly known as Gui Gui, will be paired with the dashing Taecyeon and Japanese actress Fuji Mina with the mischievous Hongki.  Sources confirmed that filming begins in February 2013."

I've known much about this famous 2pm band.  They are extraordinarily crafty young y men.  Famous for their brooding looks, muscular body and entertaining concerts.  They are also known for being able to hold huge crowds mostly made up of die-hard, obsessed, crazed female fans -- Hottest they call themselves.

Sure, they are suave with their movements.  Their genre of music suits my taste perfectly.  As for my virtual partner, I don't know much about him except for the fact that he is ravishingly handsome and y.  Curiosity got the better of me and so I began to surf the net for anything about Taecyeon.

Hmmmmm...Born in Busan, migrated to the USA at the age of 10, back to Korea after 7 years in the States.... pretty intelligent, artistic, driven, motivated, fluent in 8 languages, etc., etc.  He has a lot to add to his resume.  

Let me look at some photos of him.  Oh my gosh!! Look at that body!  Now I know why he's drool worthy! He's so gorgeous and manly, a true Adonis at every inch.  

Oh?! And he has his share of scandals too?!  With a face and body like that, women will be throwing themselves at his feet.  He must probably be a player too.  Humph! He's probably just like all the others!  I was suddenly reminded of my recent heartache.  Better not dwell on them.  

I remember feeling nervous and excited at the same time as our filming drew nearer.  This was, after all, my first exposure outside of Taiwan and China.  I figured I have nothing to lose.

 

When I first laid eyes on him I was enamored by his charm -- he was simply fascinating.  I can't quite define how I feel right now as I have never felt this emotion before.  He is even more beautiful and masculine in person.  The image you see on screen did not do enough justice to Taecyeon.

Calm yourself, I told myself. I need to be composed.  He's a player remember?!

"Hi, I'm Taec. It’s nice to meet you." He held out his hand to shake mine while letting out a boyish grin.

Oh dear. That voice is just so...y too??!! How can that be? And his smile, oh brother!! Unable to contain myself, I started to giggle - much to my horror and embarrassment.

"Ummm, I'mm G..Gui Gui, nice to meet you," I greeted him with a slight curtsy as I extended my hand to shake his.

He stared at me with a questioning look on his face and after a few seconds, finally got hold of himself.  He gestured for us to take a seat at one of the tables at the shoe cafe where we were filming.  He pulled the chair for me and gracefully pushed me in towards the table.  We used English to communicate as I don’t know how to Speak Korean.  Taec was impressively fluent in English and I asked him to be patient with me as my English is quite limited.  As we were having our breakfast, we talked about how we are to address each other.

"Call me Oppa," he said.  "So how should I call you?"

"Just call me Gui Gui," I said shyly.  "You can change the name later if you wish."

He appeared to be thinking it through and then nodded in agreement.

The day proceeded like that -- talking about each others preferences, what traditions in Korea I should be mindful about and what places we can go to.

"Is there a particular place you'd like to see?” he asked.

"I'd like to see the snow!” I said excitedly.

He smiled at me appreciatively.  "Ah, yes, of course, since there's no snow in Taiwan. We will make arrangements for it."

I'm surprised at how I felt completely at ease with him even after a few minutes that we have been together.  It's as if I have known him from a past lifetime.  

My heart was beating randomly the more I spent time with him.  I was silently ordering my heart to be still.  I didn’t want to be so obvious.  He might think I'm one obsessed fan he'd rather not have anything to do with.  Besides, he must have a lot of girlfriends!  I keep reminding myself.

"Gui Gui, are you ok?" startling me.

"Oh, Miyanae Oppa," I said apologetically.  He had a worried look on his face.

"I was just thinking about home."

"Gwenchanah. It's alright. We'll take good care of you." He stared longingly into my eyes as he was saying this.

Whoa!!! I suddenly felt my knees buckle at his intense stare. Am I being delusional? Seeing things?  He was just being considerate knowing that I'm a foreigner. Be still my heart, I ordered again.

"Thank you, that's so considerate of you," I replied.

"That's nothing.  Well, I think we're all done for the day.  Here is my cellphone number in case you needed someone to show you around," he offered.

"Kamsahamnida, Oppa," expressing my appreciation.

He appeared to be very pleased hearing this. I think he likes me calling him Oppa? Delusional again, I scolded myself.

"Here is my number too, just in case."

I couldn't even explain why I'm giving him my number.  I hope he would call me one day? I was silently crossing my fingers and hopelessly hoping.  What???!!! What was I just thinking?

 

 

It is 12 midnight and I'm still staring at the ceiling.  I can’t seem to get her out of my head.  I'm so damn tired and desperately needed to rest.  My thoughts are drifting someplace else.  

Is she comfortable? I hope someone took her out to dinner.  I hope she sleeps well.  Can't wait to see her tomorrow.  Where did that come from?  I just met her and here I am thinking crazy thoughts.  

Sure, I have met many beautiful women being in this industry.  But, there is something about her that held my interest, captivates my curiosity, and makes me edgy.  She is beautiful, yes, and very cute.  The way she behaves, her laughter - they're almost child-like, yet unpretentious and innocent.  Her laughter is like a song that sings to me, making me forget all my worries.  She has a carefree and kindred spirit, a ball of sunshine that brightens everyone's day.  No wonder everyone seems to gravitate towards her.  

I've never met anyone quite like her.  I just can’t figure out how to respond to her or be myself around her.  I don’t know what it is but I longed to get to know her more.  

I felt extraordinarily shy and nervous the whole time I was with her but I always try to laugh it off or goof around so I'm not too obvious.    Despite the presence of the filming crew, I felt like it was just the two of us there at the cafe enjoying each other's company.  This experience is all surreal to me.

As soon as the filming ended, I felt a pang of sadness that I will be temporarily separated from her.   Already, I was looking forward to tomorrow.  

 

 

I haven't slept well, just probably not used to the new surroundings.  I've missed dad and my friends.  Partially too, because I was thinking of him.  When I drifted off to sleep it was already 3 a.m.  Tsk, I have dark circles around my eyes.  It was 5 a.m. when I awoke.  I should take care of myself better, there's only so much that make-up can do.  I hope I won't look hideous in today's shoot.  I prayed that I left a good impression with Taec yesterday.  I want us to be able to work comfortably so we can make our fans happy.

Today, we are off to the ski resort.  I wanted to see the snow and so Taec made arrangements to make sure I get to experience it.  I was moved with his gesture.  He is very considerate and accommodating.

The whole shoot went on as planned.  I had a blast riding the gondola and playing with Oppa on the snow. Oppa is quite reserved and mature but nonetheless, he indulged me.  Despite looking stupid, he did as I asked - dancing, singing and playing with me like a school kid.  Somehow I felt drawn to him.  He makes me feel at ease, like I found a new best friend in him.

Without even a time to rest, we were ferried to our "married couple's house".  It has a homey ambiance to it but I somehow felt uncomfortable for the first time.  I felt like that the world is getting smaller around us and the space we share is sort of more intimate.  Unlike our first encounters, we were in the "outside", in public.  Here, it's more like just him and I.  

 

 

Gui Gui said that in Taiwan, it is a tradition that the husband carries the wife to their bedroom suite.  There were 4 flights of stairs to get to "our" bedroom suite.  Part of me was delighted that I get to hold her close to me but at the same time cringing at the thought of being intimate with her -- not this soon.  Not when I'm not sure about what I feel and not when I don’t know how to act appropriately around her.

I am very careful around skinship.  I don’t need another scandal at this time in my career.  I asked if she is ready for it.  She was very shy too.  I can tell that she is not used to skinship either.  Although she touches me casually at times, but they were never malicious.  It's like a good friend holding or touching you.

This time it was different.  It took awhile before we both mustered our courage to do the scene.  I scooped her off the floor and she circled her arms around my neck.  Instantaneously, I felt so freaked out.  My heart is racing, my senses more alive and I don’t even feel that I'm carrying someone up the stairs.  I tried to not look at her, and so was she, but I can’t help making subtle glances.

She asked if she was too heavy without looking at me.  "Not at all", I told her.  She was so light, a tiny little thing.  Her scent - so innocent and sweet - is so intoxicating.  Her body feels soft and, and, and...I stopped the thought right there.  Michoso! I internally scolded myself.  This is a mistake I cannot afford to make.  The sooner I can put her down, the better for my sanity.

Finally, I was able to toss her into the bed to make the scene hilarious.  But then she threw another bombshell at me before I got the time to compose myself.

"Oppa, I hope we can do something in the bed" as she sauntered her way to me.  

Her words stunned me into silence.  What????!!! Oh man! Why would she say that? Is she trying to test the limits of whatever self-control I have? Is she insane?  I'm not done with my internal tirade but then I found my voice back and chose to say my thoughts out loud.

"What doing something in bed? No, no, no!" My voice was a notch higher and it sounded more accusatory and insulting.  I saw the pain registered in her face for a brief second.  Despite her ego being wounded, she didn't falter, she tried again.

"You're thinking too much!" yelling at me as she continues to move closer.  I took a step back and raised my hands in defiance.  This time she was more persistent.

"I just want us to imitate some scenes in drama shows that I've been watching and nothing else,” she snapped at me.  It calmed my nerves for a while, now understanding what she wanted.  Why the hell was I not informed about this part?  I will have a word with PD-nim about this later.

We imitated several scenes that Gui Gui found romantic in dramas that she has been watching.  It was sort of fun to play house.  I was still wary because we have to do more scenes that required us to touch.  Although they were all pretend shots, but still. The last one I find special and meaningful, at least, to me.  This required her to pretend to sleep in the couch and I was to wake her up with a peck on the cheek.

She was poised comfortably on the couch as I adjusted the camera to get a good shot.  I instructed her to close her eyes while I adjusted the lenses.  I pretended to continue to tinker with the camera but in truth I was just savoring the view I saw on screen.  She was a picture of beauty, peace, contentment and tranquility.  

A few more seconds then I told her to be ready.  She held her pose and I ran towards her, leaned as close to the side her face and puckered my lips as if trying to kiss her. I kept my eyes open, watching her.  I felt my chest tighten.  Somehow, I really wanted to kiss her. “She's the one for me," this thought just crossed my mind.  But then my rational side took over and I internally laughed at how much this girl is slowly changing me.  I was enjoying this internal joke inside my head that I let out a snort, which got us both laughing, eventually ruining the shot.

We tried the shot over and over but each time it always turns out wrong.  "Oppa, we need to get it right this time.  I'm getting tired."

"I'll be good, I promise."  One last time we did it and nailed it. I felt guilty all of a sudden, she does look very exhausted.  "I hope you get a lot of sleep tonight," I told her.  "Have a good meal first and then sleep early, ok?" I added.  She nodded her head and thanked me.

She was heading out the door and it dawned on me that I needed to tell her something important.

"Gui Gui, wait up! I forgot to tell you something!"  She whirled around upon hearing her name.  

"I didn’t mean to keep you longer, I know you're tired."

"That's ok. What is it you want to tell me?" she asked with attentive eyes.  It distracted me for a second.

"Oh, ummm.  Well, tomorrow will be our last day to shoot and then I will be going on tour for our concert.  We wont be seeing each for about 10 days."

"Hmm, is that so?” she was deep in thought.  She looked up at me and I saw sadness pass through her eyes.  "I wish you and your band the best of luck on your concert.  I hope everything will turn out fine. I pray you'll have a safe trip and don’t forget to eat and get lots of rest.  I don't want my Oppa to get sick, ok?" and smiled at me affectionately.

I returned her smile with as much affection as I can show. My Oppa. I liked it.

"Thanks Gui Gui, that's so kind of you.  After our last shoot tomorrow, maybe we can ....." I just looked at the floor, unable to finish what I wanted to say.

Whack.  She smacked me on the shoulder.  "Oppa, wae? Don’t keep me in suspense here."

"Aishhh! Miyanae." Cough, cough.  "As I was saying...tomorrow, after shooting ends, maybe we can hang out together?" There, I said it.  "That is if you want to."  It has to be her choice.

She stared blankly at me, unable to say anything.

"Ahem," I cleared my throat when she continued to remain silent for a full long minute.  "Earth calling Gui Gui."

"Oh, aha. Sorry.  Yes of course! I would love to."  I smiled widely at her.

"Which hotel are you staying?"

"At the Ritz-Carlton. Im at the presidential suite, 7th floor."

"Would 5 p.m be okay with you? We wrap up filming around 3.  Is that enough time for you?"  I didnt want to rush her.

"That would be just right,” she said excitedly.  "I'll see you tomorrow then." And with that, she turned her back and was out the door.

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Comments

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marialolin #1
Chapter 17: I love the spins, twists and turns. Kudos!
athirah_nichkhun #2
Chapter 17: thumbs up ! it's to woderful story ..
akasia #3
Chapter 17: 2 thumbs up ...love it so much i squeal like crazy reading your stories.
mistxz
#4
Chapter 17: One nice masterpiece of yours. I like it. :)
Elliryanna
#5
Chapter 17: hahaha jjandori... Ah, that made me laugh.
runrunaway #6
Chapter 17: ITS A GREAT ENDING
mikoshine
#7
Chapter 17: great wrap up of the story. really enjoyed everything. great job author-nim! hoping to read another story from you soon (hopefully still taecgui... hehe) ^_^
louise_sy #8
Chapter 17: I was on the verge of crying because the chapter is so touching then taec's last remarks just had me laughing hard. Thanks for creating this wonderful story! I hope to see/read more stories from you again one day! :)
mikoshine
#9
Chapter 16: this is just so awesome! they're finally back together... >_<
louise_sy #10
Chapter 16: Just speechless. This chapter was a roller coaster ride of emotions. Wheeeeeeew!!