“Only 5 of you remain and only 3 can pass to the final round. Three of you were chosen as the weakest in the competition and to prove your worth, this elimination tattoo challenge, you can draw whatever you want! However! It has to be done freehand and directly to your canvas’s skin. No references, no stencils. Think smart and do what you’re the best in order to save you a spot as a finalist. You only have 6 hours and your time starts…now!”

They took their stations and began to brainstorm with their canvas consulting them what they can do and what they are okay to have permanent on their skin. Canvases had agreed to be open but the girl seemed to have taken a different turn. Mino was giving options but the girl he was given would deny each one. He was half grateful, half freaking out. What he was suggesting was not his best work, he knew and the woman seemed to know.

Mino was wrecking his brain for ideas and he was running out of time, what could he do? All he was thinking about was of his beautiful hyung, his now fiancé, soon to be husband. He had practice drawing him for years now and he can easily draw him without a reference…however, how can he approach the woman with that? He wasn’t even sure how he felt about tattooing his fiancé on a stranger.

The woman sensing Mino’s distress, decided to make a suggestion. “I was actually hoping to get you to tattoo me. I- I’ve been a huge fan since your WIN days. So could you do something Winner related? I’m sure you have done something really good during your WINNER days that you still keep to heart that can help you win this challenge for sure.”

This shocked Mino causing him to shut down for a few seconds. It’s been years since WINNER had disbanded. Their contracts had expired and even if the 4 members wanted to remain together, they couldn’t stay in the company any longer. They wanted to fly and every company had their restrictions when it came for all 4 of them. And this is why Mino was found competing against other talented artists in a popular show called Ink Master.

He had created a name in Korea, but he wanted to challenge himself somewhere and something new. All 4 members kept in contact but Mino made the decision to move to the US. Mino always had a fascination over tattooing and he was inked as well. But seeing that tattooing was illegal in Korea and being a public figure, it was hard for Mino to practice such skills even if he got away with being inked on his own body. But now being in the US, he managed to obtain the skills and land a spot in a show to show his talent and skills.

So where is Jinwoo in this? Jinwoo had soon followed him when he was booked as a model in the US. After years of traveling and picking up ways to survive in different countries from Wizard of Nowhere. It wasn’t so hard to navigate in the US and decided to move in with Mino just a few days after he had signed the contract with a model agency.

Now, becoming a fiancé you ask? Between Mino and Jinwoo, there was always something there but they never did anything about it. After they went their separate ways, they wanted to try, but things just never fell into place and Mino decided to leave in hopes to start anew. It only resulting him to constantly search Jinwoo and not once skip a chance to sketch, draw, or paint his precious hyung.

It wasn’t until he learned that Jinwoo would go to the US himself that he asked to meet up and asked for support during his stay because that was just the beginning of the competition to earn a spot in Ink Master. Jinwoo was the only person he knew and felt most comfortable to calm the nerves. Once Jinwoo signed the contract, all was history. Mino couldn’t have asked for a better support partner during the hectic times of the competition. Every challenge, every elimination, the tasks were getting harder and harder. Everything was at a fast pace, it was overwhelming.

But with Jinwoo, he’d come back to earth and refill that drive. The night he asked for Jinwoo’s hand of marriage, it was not something special, they were both just snuggling on the sofa. The eldest hyung had Mino laid down on the sofa, head on his lap while playing with his hair, giving him comfort and making him relax enough to fall asleep. Both were brainstorming ideas of what might the next challenge be and what he could do. Mino was so in ease, listening to Jinwoo’s soothing voice and adorable chuckles, he just blurted the question.

“Will you marry me?”

Mino will never forget the wide grin, the glossy eyes, yet a soft expression on Jinwoo’s face, the eldest leaned down and gave him a sweet kiss.

“I was just thinking about that since we’re living in a new country where it’s acceptalbe. Of course I will!”

“I should have thought this better. I don’t even have a ring!”

“That can wait, you have to rest for the competition tomorrow! So no more stressing and more sleep.” Jinwoo lightly slapped Mino on the stomach.

“But you’re my fiancé now,” reclaimed Mino.

“Yup, I will tell everyone I know that my tough cutie is now my fiancé.” They both gave each other a kiss before heading off to their bed.

“How do you feel having my fi-I mean Jinwoo’s face on your body?”

“I’m up for that!” She seemed really excited, which caused Mino to suspect…

“By any chance, was he your bias?” The woman quickly blushed and slowly nodded. “Understandable.” He chuckled. “Alright, let’s do this. Please stand straight so I can get the outline done and then we can start, alright?”

---

Mino was facing the judges with his opponent, ready to face the truth. His opponents went first and then it was his turn to step forward to listen to what the judges had to say about his tattoo.

“Ah, a portrait. You really took a risk here by going realistic and yet…it’s so unreal.” One judge started.

“I really hope the person looks like that.”

“Either she’s that beautiful, you enhanced her, or you made her up.” The three judges commented.

“It’s-“ Mino wanted to interrupt but didn’t want to be rude.

“I’m so impressed. The details on the face, even the saturated rosy lips! Do you see that?”

“Yeah, those glossy deer eyes.”

“Even that sparkle around him. Let me ask, is this like your dream girl, or is this someone you know?”

“Umm…this is-“ Mino’s voice cracked up. This was his time to come out; he won’t be hiding anymore depending on how he decides to introduce his artwork. Worst case scenario, he’ll just ask them to edit it out once he tells Jinwoo about the prerecorded event.

“It’s actually a man,” he chuckled. “But I mean he does make a gorgeous woman too.”

“Wait, what!? That’s a man?” They were shocked nonetheless.

“Ah, yeah, I can see it now.” One of the judges kept tilting his head.

“Is that how he looks though? I mean, the proportions are spot on…?”

“She was tearing up when they finished though.” One of them remembered back on the competition field.

“I was wondering if that was out of happiness or distress.”

Mino cleared his throat, “that’s how he looks. I was part of a boy group called WINNER years back and he’s one of my former members. Honestly, my canvas was a fan of ours so she was tearing up because that was her bias.”

“Oh, I see. Makes me wonder what you have done to remember his face and be able to draw it straight out of your mind. I mean, if that’s how he actually looks. I’m curious now.”

“Wait, so did she ask for it?”

“No, I suggested it first.” Mino quickly cleared the possible misunderstanding that may cause his spot.

“But…why him and how were you able to render it? Show me actual photos of him please so we can determine it looks like him.”

“Will this play a factor on our decision?”

“Possible but even without photo proof, he nailed it. I mean, it we confused the gender but…oh, yeah, definitely looks like him.” One of the judges added when Mino pulled out his phone to show them the photos. “He does have some feminine features in real life.”

“Well you did an amazing job. Now it’s time for the judges to deliberate and reveal the votes after these commercials.” The judge mced away.

Mino was so close to reveal Jinwoo was his fiancée but the three judges didn’t leave much room for Mino to answer much of their questions. He was half disappointed, half relieved. He’d just have to share the news another day.

Did Mino make it? We’ll find out on the next episode…I’m just kidding there’s no continuation of this short story. I’ve been watching Ink Master and got the idea from there. Plus one of the current contestants liked my songkim fanart on IG!!! He’s really good looking too and his art tattoo designs are amazing. Just his attitude is eh. Idk why he was in my profile and only liked that one songkim drawing seeing it’s not a tattoo but ah, it was noticed!

Also I apologize for the lack of judge names, I don’t know much about the judges so I decided to not say any names because I don’t know their personalities so I wouldn’t know who would say what. You can pretend it’s a three headed person, or a multi personality person for all I care. Lol.

Please don’t kill me for them mistaking Jinwoo as a girl when he was drawn as a man. I feel like majority of the people who are not Korean/Asian mistaken boy groups as girls just at first glance. I’ve shown actual photos of Jinwoo and they still ask if it’s a girl -_-

I thought, maybe Mino should draw cross dressed Jinu but I made the canvas a female and I figured…hell yeah, I’d let Mino ink me with Jinwoo’s face. Then I thought, I could have made the canvas a male and Mino could have tattooed a cross dressed Jinwoo but then I thought it’d lose the touch and the fact that Mino had drawn Jinwoo as how he is naturally, a man.

Anyways, hope you enjoyed this.  It was written real quick so excuse the errors. Until the next random update!!!