Chapter 157: It's Okay to Go Slowly part 5

Director Tim, who had been in Washington, flew in at a moment's notice. He had arranged to meet Geon and Shizuka at the Crown Plaza Hotel located in downtown Manhattan. Tim was at the hotel's 10th-floor Sky Lounge, deeply engrossed in the storyboard outlines for the music video created by Lyn, sipping on his coffee.

"Mm.. Should it have an animation-like feel?"

Lost in thought as he gazed at the ceiling decorations of the hotel Sky Lounge, Tim turned his head towards the sound of the elevator in the empty lounge. As the elevator doors opened and a person stepped out, Tim quickly got up and spread his arms wide with a bright smile.

"Kay! Long time no see!"

Geon, whose face was hidden, was immediately recognized by Tim, who ran towards him with open arms and hugged him warmly.

"Director Tim! Have you been well?"

Tim's bright smile quickly turned into a frown as he rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"Am I that old that you need to ask if I've been healthy?"

Geon laughed awkwardly and pulled him by the arm.

"Haha! In our country, it's customary to greet one's elders like this. Ah, let me introduce, this is Shizuka Miyawaki, you know Director Son Lin, right?"

Tim's gaze shifted to Shizuka, who was hesitating and looking around nervously from behind Geon, and to Lyn, who always had a confident and cool expression. Tim extended his hand towards Lyn first.

"We've talked on the phone quite often, but it's our first time meeting in person, isn't it?"

Lyn glanced down at Tim's hand before shaking it with a grim smile.

"Ha.. That's right. I was hoping we wouldn't have to talk over the phone anymore."

"Ha! Well, this isn't a movie shoot, and I don't think you've met my demands, but for now, I'll say my immediate desires have been extinguished, so I'll hold off for a while. Haha!"

Lyn's expression soured, but Tim, unfazed, turned to Shizuka and extended his hand.

"I'm Tim Curtain. Nice to meet you, Miss Shizuka."

Shizuka grasped Tim's hand with both of hers and bowed deeply.

"Ah, hello, Di-director! It's, it's truly an honor to meet you!"

Tim looked down at Shizuka, who continued to bow excessively, and asked Geon, pointing at her.

"What's with her? Is she new to America? She seems too Japanese in her greetings to be a student at Juilliard."

Geon chuckled and pulled Shizuka, who was still bowing and looking thrilled, by the arm.

"Let's stop the greetings here and go sit down to talk, Shizuka."

"Yes, yes? Okay, okay."

As Shizuka was led away by Geon, still sneaking glances at Tim, Tim turned to Lyn with a bemused look.

"Is she always like this?"

Lyn, having taken off his coat and holding it in one hand, slightly nodded.

"Yes, probably."

"Probably? Ah, you said she's a new signee, right? It seems all the talents signed with Fantagio are so innocent and nice."

Lyn and Geon took their seats on the sofa, with Shizuka looking over with sparkling eyes. Tim, looking annoyed at Lyn's departing back, quickly joined Geon on the sofa at his gesture. Sitting down, Tim looked at Geon with a newfound curiosity.

"Phew, you still look like a student just like when I first saw you in Germany, but your status has changed. It's become so hard to meet you now. Ha."

"Ha, my phone number changed. I'll give it to you later. Call me anytime you're near Manhattan."

"Is that so? I thought Fantagio had blocked my number from reaching you."

"Ha, no way. After I returned from military service, someone else was using my number."

"Hmm? Not sure who got that number, but they might be getting threats from scary hip-hop musicians now? Ha!"

Geon momentarily imagined a giant with sunglasses pointing a gun at him while shaking a bottle of liquor, breaking into a cold sweat.

"That's true. I need to give you my new number before I forget... I should make that call today."

"Who? Ah, those scary guys, huh? Still haven't told them?"

"Yes, I forgot. This could be serious."

"Ha, that'll be fun."

As the two indulged in small talk, Lyn tapped the table with her fingernails, signaling a shift in the conversation.

"Director, shall we talk business now?"

Tim cleared his throat and showed her the storyboard.

"Ahem, I've seen the storyboard. It's not bad. I can shoot it to the level required."

L

yn slightly nodded.

"Good to hear, Director."

Tim looked intensely at Lyn, interlocking his fingers and resting his elbows on the table.

"But it's overly Japanese in its sensibility. It feels like something out of a Hayao Miyazaki animation. Is there really a reason you needed to call me to shoot a music video with such a Japanese vibe? If you're just trying to annoy me, I'll refuse, and you might want to consider hiring a director who can do a better job."

Shizuka looked unsure of what to do as the atmosphere suddenly turned serious, watching Tim and Lynn closely, while Geon quietly observed Lynn. Lynn, seeing the steadfast belief in Geon's eyes, slightly smiled and said to Tim,

"It is indeed troublesome."

"What?"

Tim was surprised by Lynn's blunt statement and raised his eyebrows, to which Lynn responded with a deep smile and picked up the storyboard.

"It's true that you are troublesome, but there's a different reason why I entrusted this project to you. When I created this storyboard, I did indeed think of Hayao Miyazaki's films, but as you can see, this storyboard only explains the primary mood, right?"

Tim nodded heavily, and Lynn continued,

"I judged that you could bring out this atmosphere better than Hayao Miyazaki himself. That's why I chose you. I won't deny that it's troublesome, but it's also true that I accurately assessed your abilities and chose you."

Tim squinted his eyes and glared at Lynn, at which point Geon chimed in,

"That's right, Director. Hayao Miyazaki is indeed a great director, but you are second to none in this field, aren't you?"

Tim felt slightly better as Geon flattered him and snatched the storyboard from Lynn's hands, glaring at her.

"Make sure of it. If you match this atmosphere, I will create the rest as I see fit. Do you agree?"

After a standoff with Tim, Lynn slowly nodded, at which Tim suddenly stood up and started dancing a strange dance he had shown in Germany before. Shizuka looked up at Tim, who had suddenly started dancing a bizarre dance out of anger and then laughter, with a look of utter disbelief, while Geon gestured with his eyes to let it slide with a smile. After watching Tim dance for a while, Geon grabbed his arm, pulled him back to his seat, and asked,

"What are you planning to do, Director?"

Tim, now seated by Geon's force, slightly crumpled the storyboard in his hand and revealed his teeth,

"What to do? You'll know once you start working on the storyboard. Ms. Lynn, the shooting location is still undecided, right?"

"Yes, Director. We'll decide after seeing the storyboard."

"The shooting location must include Japan, no matter how you plan the storyboard."

Tim's sudden declaration made Lynn look puzzled, then Tim showed her the last page written by Shizuka and said,

"Ms. Shizuka. This lyric, it's your story, isn't it?"

Shizuka, taken aback by Tim's sudden question, hesitated before answering,

"Yes, yes? Ah, right."

Tim leaned in to make eye contact with Shizuka and asked,

"Where did you spend your childhood?"

Feeling pressured by Tim's approach, Shizuka leaned back and said with sweat forming,

"In Oga City, Akita Prefecture."

Tim straightened up and pondered for a moment before asking,

"Your childhood and the current cityscape must have changed a lot. Is there still a place near where you lived that remains the same?"

"Ah... My parents are still there. The house we lived in when I was a child is still there, too."

"Ah, that's good. What do your parents do?"

"They farm. So, the house, the fields, and even the mountains around are all still there."

"Ho? I thought Oga was a pretty big city since it's a 'shi', but they farm?"

"It's on the outskirts, a bit away from the city center. There's an air force base nearby, so no city has developed around it."

Tim clapped his hands a few times and stood up excitedly,

"Perfect! We absolutely need your memories to bring these lyrics to life. Only in such a place can your expressions truly come alive. Haha! Ms. Lynn, please arrange the schedule to shoot in Japan immediately."

Lynn immediately took her phone and went outside to contact the location manager. Watching Lynn making arrangements from a distance, Tim sat down and said,

"That Ms. Lynn, she's excellent at handling work. Normally, partners who work with someone like me get stressed out. But she, on the other hand, shakes me up. Look, she's making arrangements as soon as I mention it. She's not just a talker. She acts and responds immediately. Kay, you're pretty much using up most of your luck meeting a woman like her. Haha."

Geon, too, smiled at the sight of Lynn on the phone and then looking at Tim's profile, said,

"I think so, too. Meeting Director Lynn or Mr. Byungjun is really fortunate. You know, there are many bad agencies out there, those that scam or exploit celebrities."

Tim chuckled and started to tidy up the storyboard documents spread out on the table,

"Hey, who do you think you are? Do you think a company that

 scammed Kay would survive? The United States wouldn't just leave it be. Heh."

Feeling a bit embarrassed by Tim's words, Geon looked at the storyboard documents he was organizing and asked,

"By the way, what role do I have, Director?"

Shizuka also looked curious as they both looked at Tim alternately, who then revealed his teeth and said,

"Piano."

Geon and Shizuka looked at him with baffled expressions, and Tim, after putting the storyboard into his bag, laughed,

"After watching the opera PPV, I too had an epiphany. You, Kay, are someone the word 'music' itself suits."

After the meeting with the team, Lynn, having arrived at Red Castle, immediately sought Gregory to push through the formal contract with Kiska. Trusting in Geon, Gregory didn't hesitate to sign the contract. Upon hearing that Lynn was about to depart to Japan for a three-day schedule, Kiska requested to accompany her.

Gregory, knowing well how Kiska had reacted during the three days Geon had been away on a trip to Ireland, made his decision. After Lynn received Gregory's permission, following his meticulous questions about Fantagio's security personnel, she came to the annex where Byungjun, sitting on the floor playing with Kiska, greeted her with a smile.

"Have you arrived, Director? Have you signed the contract?"

Seeing the doll-like girl sitting on the floor, Lynn, with a tension easing off her face uncharacteristically, hurriedly approached and sat in front of Kiska. Kiska, seeing a beautiful sister sitting in front of her for the first time, opened her eyes wide and examined Lynn's face. After scrutinizing Kiska's cute face and body for a while, Lynn, with her face flushed, screamed and lifted Kiska into her arms.

"Kyaa! So cute!!"

Byungjun looked at Lynn's unexpected reaction with bemused eyes, but Lynn, not noticing his gaze, fussily touched Kiska's small feet and made a scene.

"Oh my, look at these cute feet. How could you be so pretty? I didn't realize it just by the photos!"

As Kiska looked slightly bewildered, Lynn calmed down a bit and made eye contact with Kiska.

"Hello? I'm Lynn. I've got permission from your dad, so we'll be together now."

Kiska tried to wriggle out of Lynn's hand, seemingly uncomfortable, prompting Lynn to catch her gaze again and said,

"Kiska, you don't like it when Kay leaves for another place, right? You want to follow, don't you?"

Kiska stopped wriggling and looked at Lynn. As she nodded slightly with her large eyes, Lynn smiled and said,

"I got permission from your dad. Kay is going to Japan, and you can go too."

Not knowing what Japan was, Kiska tilted her head in confusion, prompting Lynn to simplify her explanation,

"You can go on a trip with Kay, Kiska. I've got the permission for it."

Finally understanding, Kiska's face brightened. She wriggled out of Lynn's grasp, raised her arms excitedly, and started running around the sofa before suddenly darting into the shower room and flung the door open. Hot steam billowed out as a scream erupted from inside.

"Eek!! Who's that! Ki, Kiska!! Close the door, please!"

Despite Geon's scream from inside the shower, Kiska, with her eyes sparkling in mischief, raised her arms in victory and laughed, while Lynn, with a flushed face, awkwardly turned her gaze out the window. Byungjun quickly stood up, closed the shower room door, and led Kiska back to the sofa, to which Kiska thanked Lynn with a hug. The disarmingly cute Kiska's embrace made Lynn smile broadly again.

Byungjun, holding the two women, cleared his throat.

"Ahem, Director, I didn't expect this side of you. To see Lynn Director, delighted by a cute child, was unexpected."

Realizing Byungjun was there, Lynn tried to regain her composure, but the warmth of the embrace made it short-lived. Eventually giving up on maintaining her image, Lynn patted Kiska's back and said after sitting on the sofa,

"If I had known such a cute child was here, I would have visited sooner."

Byungjun, with Kiska in Lynn's arms, looking up at her makeup-adorned face, commented,

"She is cute, indeed. Probably the cutest child I've ever seen."

As Kiska noticed Geon emerging from the shower room, she hurriedly ran to him and hugged his leg. Geon, with a proud smile, pointed at Lynn and asked Kiska,

"Why, Kiska? What's making you so happy?"

Kiska, mumbling, pointed at Lynn, prompting Byungjun to explain,

"Director Lynn has arranged for Kiska to accompany her to Japan this time, which is why Kiska is happy."

"Ah, is that so? Kiska, do you know what Japan is?"

Kiska shook her head with a bashful smile. Where they were going wasn't really a concern for the girl. Geon then stroked Kiska's head and asked as he sat on the sofa,

"What about Kiska's passport and visa?"

Lynn rummaged through her bag, pulling out some documents, and said,

"We'll have to sort that out. It shouldn't take long."

"Please, take care of it. But, I wonder if there are any flight tickets available on such

 short notice."

"Don't worry. We'll take a private jet."

Byungjun, surprised, inquired,

"A private jet, Director? Our company has a private jet?"

Lynn smiled back at Kiska, who snuggled into her again, and replied,

"With Geon's single becoming a success, we managed to acquire a small plane. I came to the US on it. We'll take the same to go to Japan. I'll contact the immigration office separately. There's an airport in Akita, so we can go directly there."

Geon, recalling a drama he saw in his childhood, mentioned,

"I remember Akita gets a lot of snow in winter. I wonder if it'll be alright. It doesn't matter where we stay since Kiska will be with us. Which hotel are we going to?"

Lynn, stroking Kiska's small back, answered,

"When I asked Shizuka about booking a hotel, she suggested staying at her family home. The staff from China will come, and Team Director's close staff of four along with Fantagio officials will stay at Shizuka's parents' place. We've booked a separate hotel for the staff coming from China. It's not possible for everyone to stay at the house."

Geon, excited, asked,

"So it's a countryside house? Haha, I've rarely been to the countryside to farm, so I'm looking forward to it."

"Indeed. It's not a heavily populated area, so think of it as a vacation."

Geon alternated his gaze between Lynn and Kiska, smiling at them, and remarked,

"I've never seen Director Lynn wear such an expression. Is it because of Kiska?"

Lynn, attempting to maintain her composure with a cough, failed to manage her expression due to Kiska's warmth and eventually gave up,

"Hmm.. I do have a bit of a soft spot for cute babies."

"Haha, that's unexpected. I always thought you'd be the perfect businessman. You look much better like this, Director."

"Hoho, do you think so? Thank you."

The three of them were so engrossed in their conversation in the annex that they didn't notice the night deepening. In the end, that day, Lynn ended up sleeping in the annex room with Kiska, and until the moment he fell asleep holding Kiska, he never lost his warm smile.

**

On the day they left for Japan, Geon arrived at New York JFK airport and boarded the plane with Kiska, escorted by bodyguards dispatched by Fantagio. Fantagio's private jet was a small Boeing 737 with 19 seats. Although about 80 staff were departing from China, the team leaving from the US to Japan was small, including Tim, Lynn, Byungjoon, Geon, Kiska, and Shizuka, along with four of Tim's staff. Byungjoon had downloaded a bunch of animated movies onto a tablet PC to keep Kiska entertained during the long flight, and soon after starting the video with headphones on, Kiska fell asleep.

The group, waking and falling asleep intermittently during the long flight, finally landed at Akita Airport to be greeted by a landscape filled with snow from a snowstorm a few days ago in Akita Prefecture. Luckily, the weather had cleared up. As Geon, holding Kiska's hand, stepped down, he turned to Shizuka, who was immersed in the scenery, and asked,

"How does it feel to be back home? How long has it been?"

Shizuka, standing at the top of the stairs leading out of the private jet, looked at the snow-covered Akita and smiled with eyes brimming with tears,

"I haven't been back since I entered preparatory school, so it's been 4 years, Kay."

"Wow, that's quite a long time. You must miss your parents."

"Hoho, yes, I'll see them soon."

"Did you contact your parents in advance?"

"Yes, I told them we'd have guests, so they should prepare."

"Ah, it's my first time staying at a friend's house, haha."

"Really? Why?"

"My mom never let me sleep over anywhere. I've never stayed at a friend's house."

Shizuka fidgeted with her hands, lowering her head.

"Friend?"

Geon tilted his head, puzzled.

"Yeah, friend. Why?"

"Oh, nothing. Let's go!"

As Shizuka hurriedly pushed Geon forward, ending up arm in arm with him, her face turned red as she glanced at Geon, who seemed unfazed, and clung to his arm even tighter. Byungjoon, who had descended from the plane earlier, noticed Geon holding Kiska's hand on one side and arm-in-arm with Shizuka on the other. He made a bemused face and said as Geon came down the stairs,

"Look at you? Now you've got both sides covered. Shizuka, Kiska. A pair, huh? Should I change my name to Lee Byung-Ka too?"

Geon chuckled and glanced at Shizuka, who, while trying to act nonchalant, continued to hold onto his arm tightly. The group caused a minor commotion at the immigration checkpoint, but Lynn quickly resolved the situation, and they swiftly got into a car and left the airport. Geon and Tim were celebrities, so the vehicle carrying the secretly-arriving group quickly passed the airport adjacent air force airfield and headed towards the rural outskirts covered in snow. Kiska, pressing her nose against the window, marveled at the beautiful countryside winter scenery, pointing out things for Geon to explain. For things about the countryside Geon couldn't explain, Shizuka provided the answers. They soon arrived at a traditional Japanese one-story house, where they were greeted by a couple waiting in front of the house despite the cold winter day. Seeing them from inside the car, Shizuka became restless and, as soon as the car stopped, she ran out to hug the couple, her eyes welling with tears.

"Mom! Dad!"

The man, welcoming Shizuka with a happy face, approached the group getting off the car and said,

"Welcome to our home."

Though Tim didn't understand the man's words, he guessed it was a greeting and reached out his hand with a smile,

"Ah.. Konnichiwa? I'm Tim Curtain."

The man bowed and shook his hand, saying,

"I'm Ryosuke Miyawaki."

Although they couldn't understand each other's language, they smiled at knowing each other's names, but soon the atmosphere turned awkward due to the language barrier. At that moment, Geon, carrying Kiska, approached Ryosuke, bowed, and said,

"こんにちは,KAY呼ばれます.Shizukaの友

達です,よろしくお願いします (Hello, I'm called KAY. I'm a friend of Shizuka, pleased to meet you)."

Ryosuke was surprised at the fluent Japanese, and Tim was also astonished. Seeing Geon smile, Ryosuke softly said,

"私たちはShizukaの友達か?(Are you Shizuka's friends?)"

Geon smiled, glancing at Shizuka, who was laughing in her mother's arms.