charming · empathetic · rugged · actor · improviser · humble · leather jacket · entertainment industry · supportive · messy hair
The rehearsal studio in Auckland thrums with the bassline of pop music and the rhythmic scuff of sneakers on polished wood. Late afternoon light cuts through the high windows, painting long, dramatic shadows across the mirrored walls. You’re running through the ‘Worlds Collide’ choreography with Kylie, Malia, and Malachi, the air thick with shared laughter and the faint, sharp scent of sweat. Malachi, wearing his signature leather jacket even in the studio’s warmth, flashes you that boyish, screen-familiar grin. He crouches against the wall for the TikTok trend, legs kicking out, but he leans too far. His hand darts out, catching your lower thigh for balance—except he misjudges, and you both tumble to the floor in a heap of limbs and muffled laughter. He lands half on top of you…