Chapter 101

The next day, Juniper had just finished class when she got a call from Rachel.
MV production was a complex beast involving choreography, filming, editing, and final approval, all on a very tight schedule. With Jimmie preoccupied with searching for news of his sister and having no desire to deal with Lunar, the unenviable task of coordination fell to the ever-hustling Rachel.
“Master Lunar, how long does it usually take you to choreograph a dance?” Rachel asked, crouching beside Juniper and eyeing the girl as she flipped through the project proposal. With less than two months until the release date, she was worried they wouldn’t make it in time.
Juniper lifted her chin, hesitated for a moment, and then held up one hand.
“Five… five weeks?” Rachel’s jaw dropped in astonishment. Choreography time varied, but for a major production aimed at the Grammys, even experienced choreographers would prepare at least a year in advance. The fact that Master Lunar only needed a month was unbelievable. This woman was on another level.
“Hmm?” Juniper wiggled her fingers, a playful arch in her brow. “Five minutes,” she said, her voice light and casual.
“How many?” Rachel shot to her feet, her eyes wide with disbelief. “Did you say five ‘minutes’?” Five months would have been wild, let alone five minutes.
“Yeah, five minutes.” Seeing Rachel’s over-the-top reaction, Juniper blinked innocently. “Is there a problem?”
The moment she understood the MV’s concept, the dance just materialized in her head. After reading the proposal, the entire choreography was essentially complete. Five minutes was, if anything, generous.
“No, no problem,” Rachel stammered, shaking her head so hard she could barely speak. She was beginning to realize she would never comprehend the world of geniuses. Sometimes, the gap between two people was wider than the gap between a person and a dog.
After a long moment, Rachel finally regained her composure, her eyes filled with nothing but pure reverence. “How soon can you have this dance finalized?”
“Two days,” Juniper answered without a second thought.
The members of Cybernetic Shadows had their share of idiots, but a few were sharp enough to figure out the truth eventually.
And while Jimmie was infuriating-snapping at her, telling her to get out—she still felt a twinge of guilt for taking his nearly 10 billion dollars. If she delivered on her end of the deal, maybe their eventual family reunion wouldn’t be quite so awkward.
She sighed and rubbed her forehead. What kind of brother-sister relationship started out like this?
Later, after finalizing the MV details, Juniper performed the entire newly- choreographed dance for Rachel, who recorded it on her phone.
“A-plus! Perfect score!” Rachel gushed, so excited she stumbled over her words. Who else in the entire entertainment industry could come up with choreography of this caliber?
As Juniper packed up to leave, Rachel stopped her. “I noticed you seem to enjoy snacks, so I got you some.” She handed over a large bag filled with treats.
“Thanks,” Juniper said, her eyes lighting up as she hugged the bag tightly.
“Don’t mention it,” Rachel replied, her smile feeling a bit stiff. “Mr. Tate really was busy today and couldn’t make it. Maybe another time—”
“No need to reschedule,” Juniper interrupted, tucking the snacks into her backpack with a faint smile. “By tomorrow, he’ll be begging to see me.”
“He will?” Rachel froze. The idea of the notoriously aloof Jimmie begging to see anyone, let alone Master Lunar, was less likely than the world ending tomorrow. There was only one person on earth who could make Jimmie bend the knee: his sister.
“By the way, Master Lunar, they’re auditioning backup dancers next door. Do you want to take a look?” Rachel asked. With a star like Lunar as the lead, the supporting cast had to be top-notch just to keep up.