Chapter Text
The production briefing room on the fourth floor of the Yeouido broadcast complex smelled faintly of stale filter coffee, dry-erase markers, and warm laminating plastic sheets. Outside the large windows, the Seoul skyline was wrapped in a pale morning haze, the sun struggling to cut through the autumn chill rising off the Han River.
Ruby sat quietly near the window, her hands wrapped around a paper cup, balancing the slight warmth between her palms. Across the table, her manager aggressively flipped through the final filming schedule for Ruby’s Tour, a multi-day travel variety show designed to explore Italy’s scenic countryside with her as a tour guide. She has spent three months in Tuscany to research her next project, and the variety's crew reached out to her as she is the only Korean actress who knew Italian and Italy well enough.
As a foreign-born actress who had spent years carefully carving out a steady, respected career in South Korea, Ruby was no stranger to the relentless tempo of the country’s entertainment industry. She had built a reputation on her quiet composure, exceptional work ethic, and ability to handle high-energy live broadcasts with poise. Still, hosting a multi-day travel program centered around an entire thirteen-member idol group felt like a monumental logistical challenge.
Out of the thirteen men, she only knew Dokyeom personally. They had been co-stars a couple of years ago, starring together in a short melodrama. During those grueling overnight shoots, Dokyeom’s unwavering professionalism, boisterous kindness, and bright, encouraging energy had made a deep, lasting impression on her. Beyond him, her connection to Seventeen was modest. Although she casually listened to their discography while driving between filming locations, the other twelve members were mostly names printed on a production sheet and familiar faces she recognized from watching them at music show broadcasts and award ceremonies.
"They are loud, Ruby," her manager warned without looking up from the schedule, her pen making a sharp scratching sound against the paper. "Good kids, but there are many of them. Don't let yourself get buried under the noise."
Ruby offered a soft, tranquil smile, taking a slow sip of her coffee. "I don't mind the noise. I just want to make sure they get enough rest between shoots. Idols are always tired."
Her manager sighed, shaking her head affectionately, but Ruby was already mentally preparing herself.
The evening before filming officially commenced, Ruby did not spend her time simply memorizing the producer’s script summaries. Instead, she sat on her living room floor, meticulously studying the members’ personalities, group roles, and communication styles through broadcast archives and fan-made compilations.
She took quiet, careful notes. She observed that Mingyu naturally gravitated toward taking initiative and keeping busy around the set; that Seungkwan took variety pacing and comedic timing very seriously, acting as a natural driving engine for group television appearances; and that the performance team—Hoshi, Jun, The8, and Dino—often carried the sheer physical momentum and infectious energy of their shows. Ruby wanted to ensure that every single member felt seen and comfortable in her presence, rather than treated as background noise in a chaotic crowd.
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The morning of the first shoot arrived with a sharp, biting crispness. The location was a scenic, traditional village in Tuscany, tucked into the foothills, where thin frost coated the wooden eaves of the houses and steam rose steadily from the production crew’s coffee urns.
When the large passenger vans rolled up the gravel driveway, the silence of the countryside was instantly shattered. The members arrived in clusters, stepping out into the cold air as a sprawling wave of vibrant, uninhibited energy that immediately filled the entire courtyard.
Seokmin—Ruby preferred calling Dokyeom by his legal name, a habit formed back during their drama filming days—spotted her first. His face instantly lit up, and without a moment’s hesitation, he waved his arms wide above his head, jogging straight across the gravel toward her in his oversized down jacket.
"Ruby-nuna! I told them you were the coolest," Seokmin shouted, his blinding, familiar grin breaking through the chilly morning air with easy warmth.
Behind him, the rest of the group gathered into a loose, curious semicircle. Ruby stood her ground gracefully. Rather than trying to dominate the physical space or project an overbearing host persona, she bowed politely and offered them a warm, easy smile that instantly lowered the collective guard of the group. She didn't try to dominate the space; she simply stood ready to receive them.
As the director called for everyone to take their positions and the camera crew completed their final checks, Ruby’s observant eyes naturally scanned the lineup. She immediately noticed the group’s leader, SCoups. He stood slightly apart from the younger members, his broad shoulders squared against the mountain wind, observing her with a protective, deeply analytical eye. Seungcheol—Ruby decided to call the rest of the boys their real name from this day on—carried himself with the heavy, quiet gravity of someone who bore the responsibility of thirteen lives on his shoulders.
Standing right next to him was Yoon Jeonghan. Unlike Seungcheol’s solid, protective presence, Jeonghan’s energy was quieter, subtly perceptive. His soft, dark gaze seemed to take in everything at once, from the neat way Ruby held her cue cards to the subtle, grounded way she carried herself amidst the production storm.
Catching Seungcheol’s watchful eye, Ruby met his gaze directly, her posture relaxed and calm.
"Hi, I'm Ruby. You must be Choi Seungcheol.
“I'm a fan of your group. Let's have a good trip," Ruby said, her voice remarkably clear, gentle, and entirely unaffected by the lingering weight of the rolling cameras.
Seungcheol seemed briefly surprised by her direct, unpretentious tone. His guarded expression softened almost instantly as he stepped forward to greet her officially.
"We are in your hands, Ruby-ssi," Seungcheol said, his voice deep and polite. "Please let us know if we become too difficult to handle."
"I think we will manage just fine," Ruby replied, her wit flashing briefly in her dark eyes.
A quiet, genuine wave of relief washed over the atmosphere. As the clapperboard snapped to signal the beginning of their journey, Ruby felt a quiet pulse of excitement in her chest.
The trip had officially begun.