185: Chapter 185 Your task is to have fun.

After the meeting ended, the girls chatted animatedly as they left. Kim Hyuna was pulled away by Ham Eunjung to familiarize herself with the dance segments. Park So-yeon stayed behind until the end, tidying up the documents on the table.

"Worried?" Song Tianhao walked over to her side and asked in a low voice.

Park So-yeon paused, looked up, and met his eyes. In private, she no longer used honorifics. "A little. Adding someone suddenly, especially someone with such a strong style as Kim Hyuna, I'm afraid the kids will need time to adapt, and I'm also worried about controlling the rhythm during filming."

"With you here, I'm at ease." Song Tianhao's words were simple, yet they warmed Park So-yeon's heart slightly. "Besides, a little surprise isn't necessarily a bad thing."

Park So-yeon looked at his calm profile, suddenly recalling the aura of being in complete control when he assigned the tasks earlier, and that phrase, "I will edit it myself."

He was always like this, seemingly tossing out arrangements that made people's hearts race, yet using even more meticulous preparations to put people at ease.

"Understood, Oppa." She said softly, her ears heating up slightly, and quickly packed her things. "Then I'll go talk to the kids first."

Watching her retreating figure, Song Tianhao's lips curled up imperceptibly. He walked back to his desk, where the latest meteorological information about Santa Ana Island had just updated on his computer screen.

He stared at the notification regarding "a possible tropical depression forming during the later stages of filming, but it is not expected to have a direct impact," and tapped his fingertips lightly on the desk.

Early morning, three days later, at the VIP lounge of Incheon International Airport.

The six members of T-ara plus Kim Hyuna, seven girls in casual clothes of various colors, wearing hats and masks, but their youthful energy was still impossible to hide.

Although they got up very early, everyone was excited, especially Kim Hyuna, who was participating in a Sky overseas shoot for the first time. Her eyes were bright, and she kept whispering to Park Ji-yeon and Jeon Boram, who were sitting next to her.

Song Tianhao was still in a simple shirt and trousers, wearing sunglasses, listening to Jang Se-hoon confirm the luggage and personnel one last time. Even after streamlining the team, there were nearly twenty people, and with a large amount of filming equipment, it was a significant setup.

After a long flight and transferring between cars and boats, when that dreamlike blue-green color finally appeared before their eyes, all fatigue was thrown to the back of their minds.

"Wow—!!!"

The girls' exclamations rose and fell, and even Lee Qri, usually the most calm, couldn't help but take out her phone to take pictures. The seawater was crystal clear; one could see the white sandy bottom and colorful coral reefs underwater. The sea breeze carried a salty, warm scent, blowing away the stuffiness of Seoul.

The only place to stay, that tropical Homestay, had even more character than it looked in the photos. It had a wooden structure, was spacious and airy, and the terrace facing the sea was large enough to host a party. Although the rooms were simple, they were clean and tidy, and one could hear the sound of the waves just by opening the window.

"I want to stay in this one! This window is the biggest!" Park Hyomin pulled Lee Qri and rushed toward a room with an ocean view.

"Unnie, this room has two single beds, let's stay here, okay?" Park Ji-yeon linked arms with Ham Eunjung.

Jeon Boram, on the other hand, became interested in a room in the corner that had a small bookshelf and a soft sofa.

Kim Hyuna was assigned a quiet single room. She put down her luggage, walked onto the terrace, took a deep breath of the air that smelled of seawater, and a satisfied smile appeared on her face. Then, her gaze subconsciously went looking for that figure.

Song Tianhao was standing by the railing at the other end of the terrace, pointing at the distant beach and reef area while talking to the director and the head of the camera crew. He had taken off his jacket and was wearing only a simple white short-sleeved shirt, with the sleeves rolled up to his forearms. The sea breeze blew the black hair on his forehead into a bit of a mess.

The sunlight fell on his sharp-featured profile, losing some of the sternness from the conference room, and gaining a bit more casualness.

"What are you looking at, Kim Hyuna?" Ham Eunjung's voice came from the side.

Kim Hyuna was startled and quickly withdrew her gaze, her face heating up slightly: "Ah, Eunjung Unnie, no, nothing, I just think this place is too beautiful."

Ham Eunjung followed her gaze for a moment, nodded knowingly, said nothing, and just patted her shoulder: "Song Tianhao is talking about the filming arrangements, let's go listen too."

Everyone gathered on the spacious terrace. The sea breeze blew slowly, carrying a humid warmth.

"No filming today; the task is to adapt to the environment and adjust your state of mind." Song Tianhao's voice sounded clear and powerful against the background of the waves. "Assemble here at 5:00 AM tomorrow to shoot the sunrise scene. Hair and makeup start at 4:00 AM, set your own alarms."

Hearing 5:00 AM, a few girls secretly made a bitter face.

"Now," Song Tianhao changed the subject, pointing to the white beach and azure water shimmering with golden light in the sunset below, "your task is to have fun. Those who want to go Swimming, go Swimming; those who want to take a walk, go for a walk; those who want to build sandcastles, build sandcastles. Forget about Seoul, forget about the schedule, forget about the pressure for now."

The girls were stunned for a moment, then burst into cheers.

"Really? CEO Oppa?" Park Hyomin's eyes lit up.

"Do I look like I'm joking?" Song Tianhao retorted, a very faint smile seeming to appear at the corner of his mouth.

"Yay!" Park Ji-yeon was the first to jump up, pulling Jeon Boram as she rushed downstairs, "Unnie, hurry up! Let's go find seashells!"

Ham Eunjung shook her head with a helpless smile, said to Song Tianhao, "Then Song Tianhao, we'll head down too," and followed them down with Park So-yeon and Lee Qri.

Kim Hyuna hesitated for a moment, looking at Song Tianhao: "Song Tianhao, aren't you going?"

"I'll come later." Song Tianhao watched their joyful retreating figures, his gaze lingering for a moment on Park So-yeon, who was running at the back and seemed to still be thinking about tomorrow's schedule.

Soon, the beach became lively. Park Ji-yeon and Jeon Boram had already taken off their shoes and were running and screaming barefoot on the damp sand.

Ham Eunjung and Lee Qri linked arms and walked along the edge of the waves, the seawater occasionally washing over their feet. Park Hyomin was the most active, trying to pull Park So-yeon, who seemed a bit afraid of the water, into the water.

Song Tianhao leaned against the wooden railing of the terrace, watching this lively scene. The sunset cast a long shadow of his tall, upright figure.

Light footsteps came from behind; it was Park So-yeon. She was still holding the tablet computer that recorded the dense schedule, her brows slightly furrowed, as she walked to his side.

"President, if we're shooting the sunrise at 5:00 AM tomorrow, wouldn't 4:00 AM be too rushed for makeup and hair? Also, the light changes very quickly during a sunrise at sea, don't we need a more precise storyboard? And where should Kim Hyuna's individual shots be interspersed to make them look more natural? I think we could talk to the director again..."

She didn't finish her sentence.

"Ah—!"

"Splash!"

"Yah! Hyomin! Qri Unnie!"

Park Hyomin's exclamation came from the beach below, followed immediately by the sound of heavy objects falling into the water and the girls' laughter.

In the shallow water, Park Hyomin had originally wanted to pull Lee Qri to play in the water, but they lost their footing while playing around and fell into waist-deep water together. The water splashed high, and both of them instantly became drowned rats, with their hair and clothes completely soaked.

Jeon Boram and Park Ji-yeon, who ran over, were shocked at first, but then seeing their disheveled and funny appearance, they couldn't help but burst into laughter.

Park Hyomin herself was stunned for a moment, then wiped the seawater from her face, looked at Lee Qri, who was also soaked and smiling bitterly beside her, and couldn't help but laugh until she doubled over.

Ham Eunjung stood a little further away, watching and shaking her head with a smile. And further away, Kim Hyuna had already taken off her jacket, wearing only a sports vest and shorts, gesturing dance moves to Ham Eunjung, seemingly discussing something. Ham Eunjung was listening attentively, nodding occasionally.

The afterglow of the sunset dyed the sea golden red and also sprinkled onto those young, happy girls who had temporarily cast aside their idol baggage. The laughter and the sound of the waves mixed together, drifting up to the terrace with the wind.

Song Tianhao watched the commotion for a few seconds before turning his head to say to Park So-yeon, who had stopped talking due to the sudden situation and was also looking at the beach: "Those details can wait until later."

Park So-yeon heard this and turned to look at him.

Song Tianhao's gaze fell on her still-furrowed brows and the tablet held tightly in her hand, his voice sounding gentler than usual in the sea breeze: "Soyeon, you go have fun too."

He tilted his chin toward the beach, which was bathed in golden light and filled with laughter. "Today, there is no T-ara leader, only Park So-yeon here for a vacation."

Park So-yeon was stunned. She looked at him, at his brows and eyes that appeared exceptionally clear in the sunset glow, and at the almost invisible but truly present soft curve of his lips. The sea breeze blew the hair at her temples, tickling her. The tablet in her hand seemed to suddenly become a bit heavy.

In the distance, Park Ji-yeon was shouting: "Soyeon Unnie! Come down quickly! It's so comfortable in the water!" Ham Eunjung was also waving at her.

Lee Qri and Park Hyomin helped each other stand up from the water, and although they were soaked, they were smiling brilliantly.

Park So-yeon looked at Song Tianhao again; he was turning back to the sea, his profile calm. She was silent for two seconds, then she placed the tablet computer that recorded countless to-do items gently on the small wooden round table nearby.

"...Yeah." She uttered a very light syllable, her ears slightly flushed in the sunset glow.

She didn't say anything more, turned around, and although her steps were a bit hesitant at first, they became faster and faster, and in the end, she almost ran down the wooden stairs leading to the beach, joining the golden commotion.

Song Tianhao's gaze followed her retreating figure until she ran into the middle of the members, was splashed with a little water by Park Hyomin, and then the girls laughed together.

Only then did he withdraw his gaze and cast it back toward the vast, boundless sea. The sea breeze brushed against his face, carrying the scent of freedom.

But when his gaze swept across the distant horizon, his brows moved imperceptibly.

There, where the sea met the sky, a gray-black cloud formation, thicker and with a clearer outline than when he had noticed it earlier, was slowly accumulating and spreading. Against the background of the golden sunset, it appeared exceptionally abrupt and full of oppressive pressure.

Song Tianhao watched the clouds quietly for a good while, then took his phone out of his pocket, unlocked it, and opened the latest satellite cloud map and meteorological warning updates. The light from the screen illuminated his handsome face.