The Greatest Showman #777 - Sparks Brewing

Renly and Jennifer had already made the entire set burst into laughter, but how could they stop there? The scene was already electric, but something was still missing.

Donald darted up to director Paul, flashing a wide, eager grin. "Director, why don't we just shoot the scene like this? Their chemistry is incredible—it's tense, exciting, and hilarious. The audience will love it! In fact, I think we should—"

"Fuck you/mom/like!"

Paul's exasperated outburst cut Donald off before he could finish. Even as he swore, his barely concealed laughter softened the words. Shaking his head, he turned to Renly and Jennifer. "Hey, you two, could you save some of that chemistry? We're about to shoot the kiss scene next. If you use it all up now, what'll you do later?"

"Friction generates heat," Jennifer quipped instinctively.

Silence fell over the set. The moment stretched unbearably. Then, realizing what she had just said, Jennifer's cheeks turned crimson. She caught sight of Renly's expression—his hands neatly folded behind his back, exuding the image of a "righteous gentleman," but the mischievous twinkle in his eyes betrayed him. Jennifer slapped a hand over her mouth. "I—I didn't mean that!"

The set erupted into laughter.

Jennifer stood frozen, momentarily speechless. As the realization of her words sank in, she couldn't help but laugh along with everyone else. Her amusement only intensified when she noticed Donald sauntering over. His leisurely strides were exaggerated, as if he were merely taking a casual stroll through the park. But as he stopped in front of Jennifer, he rubbed his hands together with an amused glint in his eyes.

"Donald!" Jennifer's voice was a low growl, but her reaction was quicker than her words. She lifted her foot and landed a swift kick on Donald's backside.

Donald yelped, stumbling forward dramatically. "Ow! I didn't even do anything! Is that a guilty conscience I sense?" He spun around, making a break for it. "Renly, help me—!"

But before he could finish, he caught sight of Renly raising the barrel of a prop gun, aiming it straight at him. Donald's eyes widened in sheer panic before he bolted towards the crowd, yelling, "Male and female thieves! Male and female thieves!"

The entire set dissolved into chaos, the crew doubling over with laughter.

Jennifer turned to glare at Renly. He looked utterly innocent, as if he had no idea why she was upset. He even arched an eyebrow as if to ask, "What did I do?"

Jennifer clenched her fists in frustration but had no real argument. Grinding her teeth, she exhaled sharply.

Renly smirked. "If this keeps up, we'll have plenty of sparks. Just… not the right kind."

Jennifer opened her mouth to retort but instead burst into laughter. The absurdity of the situation was too much. The more she thought about it, the harder she laughed.

Alexander, watching from the sidelines, stroked his chin thoughtfully. "I fully believe the rumors now."

Unexpectedly, Paul Walker chimed in, "You should just tell Renly directly."

Alexander blinked, then quickly backpedaled. "Hey, hey, this is just brotherly banter. No need to involve Renly. He has a heavy shooting schedule today—we shouldn't bother him with trivial gossip, right? I mean, he's just… rehearsing for the next scene!" He flashed a nervous grin.

Kaya and Rami, standing nearby, burst out laughing at his feeble attempt at damage control.

At last, the set quieted down, and filming resumed. Renly and Jennifer, both consummate professionals, quickly refocused. Despite the earlier laughter, they nailed their scenes with minimal retakes—just two moments of uncontrollable giggles. But even after the cameras stopped rolling, the infectious energy lingered, keeping the entire crew in high spirits.

After nearly four hours, they finally reached the last shot of the day: the life-and-death moment between Cage and Rita—the pivotal kiss scene.

Donald, never one to miss an opportunity, began chanting, "Hoo ho ho, kiss scene, kiss scene!" His voice took on a sing-song quality. "Renly and Jennifer sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!"

The childhood nursery rhyme reference wasn't lost on anyone. It was a classic playground taunt, used to tease about budding romances.

Alexander clapped Donald on the shoulder. "If you keep that up, how will they build any emotional tension? Sparks need time to develop, you know."

"Oh, please. They're already used to it," Paul Walker added casually.

All eyes snapped to Paul. He frowned as he realized what he had just implied. "I mean, they worked together in Love Crazy before. They had a full-blown romance in that, complete with a bed scene."

That didn't help. If anything, it made things worse.

The crew collectively hummed in understanding. "Ohhh," they intoned knowingly, sharing amused glances.

Jennifer sighed, exasperated. She wanted to argue, but anything she said might make it worse. Instead, she turned to Renly, who maintained his usual composed expression. That only made her grind her teeth harder.

Seemingly unaffected, Renly remarked, "Ignore them. It's just a bunch of guys who haven't had access to adult content in a while. They're so deprived that even a simple kiss scene is enough to send them into a frenzy."

Instantly, the male crew members fell silent, looking thoroughly scandalized. Meanwhile, the female crew burst out laughing.

Jennifer couldn't hold it in any longer. She doubled over, laughing uncontrollably. Kaya joined in, and soon, the entire set was filled with chuckles.

Finally, it was time to roll cameras. Jennifer took a deep breath. "Give me a minute," she said, still suppressing giggles.

She turned to Renly—big mistake. His utterly composed face only made her want to laugh again.

"Girl, if you keep this up, the kiss scene will turn into a comedy," he murmured.

Jennifer playfully smacked his arm. "Don't make me laugh!" She took another steadying breath. "Alright, I'm ready."

Renly raised an eyebrow, shrugged, and leaned back into position. "Come on, then."

Jennifer rolled her eyes at his theatrical invitation but managed to suppress her grin. The camera rolled. She leaned over him, their eyes locking. The world around them faded into the background.

The laughter, the teasing—it all disappeared. Now, only the characters remained.

Silence fell. Heartbeats echoed in their ears.

"Action!"