The director noticed Taylor's hesitant expression and stepped forward to guide her.
"Try to tap into your emotions. Have you ever really liked a guy, but he had a girlfriend?" he asked.
"Huh?" Taylor blinked, realizing she actually had.
"Think back to how you felt then. Now imagine if you ended up with that guy you liked, and another woman tried to come between you. What would be going through your mind?" the director continued.
Taylor gestured for him to stop. She didn't need more prompting.
Closing her eyes, she immersed herself fully in the memory of that fateful night when she first met Luke. On that train, she recalled the thrill of seeing him for the first time, mixed with the conflicting emotions when he rejected her. Then her mind drifted to the beautiful figure she'd tried so hard to push out of her thoughts—the girl sharing a blanket with Luke.
Feelings of frustration, reluctance, joy, and a fierce possessiveness surged within her all at once.
When Taylor opened her eyes again, the director could tell she was in the zone.
"Alright, everyone, let's do this!" he called out to the crew. "One more time!"
"Action!"
This time, Luke got into the cheerleader's car. Taylor kissed him casually, but her gaze wasn't on the male lead. Instead, she stared intensely at the female lead sitting at a desk nearby.
"Think you can steal my man? He's mine! He's head over heels for me, and all you can do is watch us be happy together," Taylor thought, picturing that girl as if she were the one in the chair.
The cheerleader's kiss was bold, but Luke was merely a passive recipient. Her kiss was cold, devoid of love, driven purely by possessiveness.
"Perfect! That's the vibe we needed!" the director praised from the sidelines.
With the toughest scene nailed, the next one—capturing the female lead's frustration and reluctance—went smoothly in just one take. Taylor channeled herself from years ago on that train, effortlessly bringing those emotions to life.
"Great job! Keep it up! Let's try to wrap this whole music video today," the director said, energized by the smooth progress.
The next scene of the MV shifted to the football field, where Luke, as the quarterback, led his team in an intense game. The cheerleader captain, dressed in a striking uniform, danced energetically on the sidelines, stealing the spotlight. All the guys couldn't help but stare at her.
She knew her charm and reveled in the attention, basking in the feeling of having every guy wrapped around her finger.
Meanwhile, Taylor, as the female lead, stood in the stands wearing thick black-framed glasses, cheering for Luke. But she blended into the crowd, unnoticed by almost everyone.
The contrast between the cheerleader's allure and Taylor's understated presence was stark.
The game ended, and the victorious Luke was hoisted up by his teammates, everyone celebrating wildly. But when he glanced back, he caught the cheerleader captain flirting with another teammate on the sidelines.
Furious, he stormed over and got into a heated argument with her. Taylor, watching from the stands, couldn't hear their words, but she could see Luke's anger and his helpless frustration.
In the end, the two parted ways, storming off in opposite directions. Seeing this, Taylor felt a pang of sadness for Luke.
…
Later that evening, Luke was at home, dressed in a suit for the school dance. Spotting Taylor through the window, he held up a whiteboard that read, "You going tonight?"
Taylor grabbed her own whiteboard and wrote back, "No, studying."
Luke, looking a bit disappointed, held up another sign: "Wish you were."
With a sigh, he set the board down, slung his jacket over his shoulder, and headed out.
Reading his words, Taylor suddenly smiled. She took off her black-framed glasses, and in that moment, her beauty shone through, rivaling even the cheerleader's. She reached for a note she'd written days ago but never shown—a slip of paper that said, "I love you."
Carefully, she tore it out, folded it, and tucked it into her pocket. Then she started getting ready.
…
At the school dance, Taylor walked in with long blonde hair and a stunning white dress, instantly drawing every eye in the room. Everyone was shocked to see that the quiet, studious girl from class was so gorgeous.
Luke noticed the shift in the room's energy and turned to see Taylor, stunned by her beauty.
What made his heart race even more was that her eyes were locked on him, and she was walking straight toward him.
The song's lyrics played in the background:
"Can't you see that I'm the one who understands you?"
"Been here all along, so why can't you see?"
"You belong with me."
They smiled at each other. Luke quickened his pace toward her, and Taylor, shy but bold, moved forward too.
Just as they were about to meet, the cheerleader captain appeared out of nowhere, grabbing Luke's arm. She reached to wrap her arms around his neck.
But Luke calmly pushed her away and continued toward Taylor.
The cheerleader captain was livid, unable to believe that her prized catch was slipping from her grasp.
Finally, Luke and Taylor stood face-to-face. Taylor unfolded her note, revealing the words: "I love you."
She didn't say a word, but her eyes said everything.
Overjoyed, Luke felt like he'd hit the jackpot. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a folded note of his own. Unfolding it, he showed her: "I love you."
With their feelings out in the open, they embraced tightly and shared a deep, heartfelt kiss.
"Cut!"
The director called a stop, thrilled with the take.
"That was amazing! This is absolutely perfect. I guarantee the audience will love this music video and its story," he said, genuinely impressed.
In just over three minutes, the video told a complete love story—teenage crushes, romantic whiteboard messages, the thrill of stealing someone's heart, and the comfort of mutual understanding. Paired with a smooth, beautiful song, the director couldn't imagine how this MV wouldn't be a hit.
"Today's shoot went way smoother than expected. We finished so far ahead of schedule!" he said, beaming.
But Luke flashed a mischievous grin that made everyone a little nervous. "Well then, why don't we go ahead and shoot the guy's version of the MV too? It won't take long."