Jongin was in the warehouse once again, alone this time since Yixing had to run errands that day. They had been back in Seoul for about a month now and the manager had been slowly feeding the media hints that Jongin was no longer in Paris.

“We’ve got to do this gradually,” Yixing told the artist as they sat at the dining room table together one evening.

Jongdae was in his bedroom on the second floor, citing immense exhaustion due to not drinking coffee that morning. Jongin had fixed his older brother a look filled with judgment, which had only elevated Jongdae’s bad mood.

“But this seems like a lot of effort for something pretty trivial,” Jongin answered, staring with uncertainty at the paper in front of Yixing that detailed the manager’s “master plan,” as he liked to call it.

“Trust me. As long as we follow this, we can get the European sponsors off of our backs and then you can focus on treating your color perception problem. But it is a shame that we’re willingly throwing away so many investors…” Yixing added in a soft voice, sighing deeply as he thought of the dozens of contacts he had carefully built up over the last three years.

Yixing still taxied Jongin around whenever he could, but opted to lessen the time spent as the artist’s shadow since he wasn’t needed very much nowadays. The manager also trusted Jongin to stay out of trouble, at least when he was with Sehun, so Yixing was able to leave the artist alone with a freer conscience.

The theme of today’s photo shoot was unknown to Jongin, but he wasn’t expecting much anyway. He was only here at Sehun’s request; if anyone else had asked, he would have declined without a second thought. The warehouse only depressed him now, especially when he thought back to the first time he had been here. The artist stood at the back, noticeably far away from the crowd of people surrounding Sunggyu, who was once again haphazardly waving around his roll of paper while yelling at everyone in sight.

“Good grief, where is Oh Sehun?! He’s late! Again!” Sunggyu screeched loudly at Donghae, who had his hands up in a defensive stance. “Mr. Lee, I have half a mind to replace your insufferable model with someone who actually respects my time!”

“Yes, I’m terribly sorry for his tardiness, Director Kim!” Donghae bowed several times while slipping one hand into his coat pocket to grab his cell phone. “I’ll text Sehun right now to see if he’s still getting his makeup done!”

“It doesn’t take anyone this long for the simple look that I requested!” Sunggyu’s hand movements were becoming more drastic as he raged and Donghae had to quickly swerve away to avoid being hit in the face by the roll of paper. “Suji has been ready for ages and her makeup should have taken twice as long as Sehun’s!”

Donghae continued bowing over and over again as his fingers speedily typed out a message to Sehun. “I promise Sehun will be here soon! If I have to, I’ll drag him from the waiting room myself!”

“There is no need, Mr. Lee. I shall do the honor of dragging that rude, elitist, disrespectful model to this room by myself if it’s the last thing I do.” Each adjective was accompanied with a sharp jab of the roll of paper towards Donghae’s chest.

Jongin stifled a chuckle as he watched the comical scene in amusement from a distance. After all, it took an elitist to know an elitist. Even if the artist didn’t quite agree with how Sunggyu was describing Sehun, since Jongin knew his best friend to be the complete opposite, it was still quite funny to witness how wound-up the photo shoot director was becoming. Jongin glanced over to the side where Suji was relaxing in her folding chair. She looked unperturbed by the shouting match that was occurring just five feet away from her. It seemed that as long as she wasn’t at the receiving end of Sunggyu’s screams, the female model could care less about what was going on around her.

“Five minutes. I will wait five more minutes before my crew packs up everything and I cancel the contract with Oh Sehun if he doesn’t show up,” Sunggyu threatened with a distasteful expression as he pushed his round, fawn-colored glasses higher onto his nose bridge. Before Donghae could react, the photo shoot director stalked to his seat behind the main monitor that was set up and he began poring over the pictures of Suji that had been taken earlier.

Jongin leaned his back against the wall and crossed his arms, taking in the dreary atmosphere of the warehouse. Although the lights were extremely bright—almost too bright, in the artist’s opinion—and illuminated the backdrop setting, the place still looked drab and gloomy. Sunggyu’s foul mood was only feeding into the negative energy that surrounded the place. It caused Jongin to grimace when the dismal aura further pressed down on him. Although he hadn’t come here expecting sunshine and rainbows, he also didn’t want to be anywhere that would drain away whatever creative sparks he had left in him.

But before the artist could further stew in his thoughts like he usually did when the darkness crept up, a hand suddenly grabbed Jongin’s shoulder, causing him to stumble over his feet in surprise. The unpleasant thought of his black leather Oxford dress shoes becoming even more scuffed fleeted through his mind as he unsteadily tried to right himself.

“Whoops, didn’t mean to scare you,” Sehun teased as he helped his best friend steady himself by firmly holding onto the artist’s shoulder. “You don’t usually get frightened this easily.”

Jongin playfully shoved the model away while he answered haughtily, “Please. I just wasn’t expecting you. Weren’t you still getting your makeup done in the waiting room?”

“I was done a long time ago.” A devilish smile graced Sehun’s handsome face as he reached for his best friend’s shoulder again and pulled Jongin closer to him. “Today is my last photo shoot with Sunggyu for the season, so I was going to be on time for once. Y’know, as a present to Sunggyu, since he’s had to put up with my deliberate tardiness for months now. But,” a chuckle rumbled in the model’s throat, “when I came to the set and saw him getting mad at Donghae, I couldn’t resist hiding in the back and watching them argue with each other.”

The artist couldn’t help but shake his head while sending Sehun a lopsided smile. “You’re the worst, you know that?”

“Aw, Jongin, you know you would’ve done the same to Yixing if you were in the same situation,” the model rebutted with a knowing smirk. He dramatically swept his other arm that wasn’t around Jongin’s shoulder in a wide arc in front of them as he continued, “We live for chaos and mischief, as long as we’re the ones causing the pandemonium and we’re not on the receiving end.”

“That’s what you think.” Sehun wasn’t wrong, but Jongin didn’t want to admit it. The artist finally took a good look at his best friend’s outfit, which was an ugly muted shade of green that almost looked gray. “You look awful,” he commented shamelessly, knowing that would divert the conversation.

“Jerk.” Sehun pushed Jongin away from him in mock anger and then straightened his coat. “You mean I look amazing.”

“You won't look amazing once I get my hands on you!”

The two best friends jumped in surprise as the photo shoot director’s yells reached them. Donghae was following close behind, his face showing relief that Sehun had been found before the time limit as well as exasperation that the model was once again shirking work.

“You are the bane of my existence, Oh Sehun!”

“But Sunggyu, my photo shoots are the ones that land you awards,” the model answered as he sauntered over to the fuming photo shoot director, who immediately whacked Sehun on the head. “Ow! You’ll mess up my hair, Sunggyu!”

But one deathly glare from the older man sent the model grudgingly walking to the backdrop that was set up. Jongin daintily waved his fingers at his best friend, who childishly stuck his tongue out when Sunggyu looked away to make sure all of the cameras were positioned correctly.

The photo shoot director finally sat down on his wooden chair that was facing backwards before jumping up straight away and walking several paces towards the model. “This isn’t the look I asked for!” Sunggyu cried out as he waved his roll of paper at Sehun. “Why can’t anyone do anything right around here?!”

“Chill out, Sunggyu. It’s—”

“Don’t you dare say anything, Oh Sehun!” The photo shoot director sent another glare in the lanky model’s direction, still miffed over his tardiness. “Eunbi!”

“Yes sir!” A young woman who looked to be in her early twenties instantly stepped forward.

Sunggyu brandished his roll of paper at her before pointing it at Sehun once more. “You know how to do basic hair styling, correct?” he barked at his senior assistant.

“Yes sir!”

“Fix up his hair and add the olive branches that I requested for this photo shoot!”

“Yes sir!” Eunbi saluted the photo shoot director before sprinting to the back where there was a box filled to the brim with various accessories and props. After rummaging around the packed container for several seconds, she managed to find a pair of fake olive branches that were lightly sprinkled with emerald green glitter. The senior assistant ran back to the photo shoot set and grabbed Sehun’s wrist, pulling him to the side of the warehouse so she could style his hair with the tools and products that one of the junior assistants brought over for her. Once she was done, Eunbi quickly threaded the olive branches through his hair, making sure they sat perfectly atop his head like a crown. She then quickly shooed the model back to Sunggyu, who was waiting impatiently with his arms crossed.

“Thank you, Eunbi, for being the only person around here who understands me.”

“Of course, sir!”

Sunggyu scrutinized Sehun’s new look for a moment before sitting back down on his wooden chair. “Now start working your magic, you infuriating prodigy.”

Jongin muffled another snicker when he saw his best friend smirk before striking a pose for the dozens of cameras aimed at him.

--

After the photo shoot concluded to Sunggyu’s satisfaction, Sehun mouthed to Jongin for him to wait while the model changed out of the designer clothing into his normal everyday clothes that were still relatively sophisticated. Once Sehun emerged from his waiting room, Donghae tried to shuttle him with Suji back to the agency for a quick debriefing, but Sehun refused and latched onto Jongin’s arm while whining that it was “absolutely, devastatingly important” that he leave with the artist instead.

“But we’ve got to prepare for Seoul Fashion Week!” the scout explained in a harrowed tone as he tried to pull Sehun away from Jongin who just stood still, not helping either party since it was funnier for him to watch the cat-and-mouse fight. “We still haven’t finalized your fitting schedules and runway contracts, since we’re still negotiating which brands you'll walk for.”

Sehun raised an eyebrow in surprise as he replied, “I thought it was already decided that Suji and I are walking exclusively for ChimChim this season?” He then gestured to the photo shoot set, where Sunggyu’s crew was busily dismantling the lights and backdrops. “Or are you telling me that we’ve been wasting our time on things that are apparently irrelevant?” the model added with a hard edge to his otherwise smooth tone.

Donghae gulped loudly as he made eye contact with Sehun, who stared back at him with an unfathomable expression. Why did this child have to make everything so difficult for him? “That was the original plan, but other fashion designers have been sending in proposals with requests that you and Suji walk for them,” the scout shakily explained in a high-pitched voice. “They’re quite reputable designers, some who are rising stars, and it would be beneficial for our agency to network with them. But since the two of you are already claimed, the higher-ups want to wrangle a better deal from ChimChim to keep you and Suji exclusive, and we can give some of our rookie models to these designers instead. You need to be there to sign either the new contract with ChimChim or an additional contract with one of the other designers we select for you two if negotiations fall through.”

The model only looked down at the scout with displeasure before roughly shaking Donghae off of him and hauling Jongin away to the warehouse exit. “Text me when you’ve actually got everything figured out,” Sehun unsympathetically called over his shoulder. “You know I hate sitting through contract negotiations,” he added disdainfully.

Donghae was about to run after the two best friends as they disappeared through the door and force that bratty model he was in charge of into the car if he had to. In any case, his paycheck was contingent upon Sehun’s cooperation and Donghae wasn’t about to let this month’s rent fly out of the window. “Oi! Oh Sehun! You—”

A slender hand landed on the scout’s shoulder and he turned to look at Suji, who gave him a half smile. “Just let him go. I’ll negotiate for him. We operate on the same terms anyway, so it’ll be easy.”

“But Suji, he should still—”

She quickly shushed him and began pushing him out of the warehouse. “Let’s go, Donghae. You can yell at him once we’ve bargained our way to a deal he can’t say no to.”

As he allowed the female model to lead him to the car that was waiting at the front of the warehouse for them, Donghae internally bemoaned Sehun’s recklessness and impudence that the scout still hadn’t learned how to control over the past four years. And as he settled into the front passenger seat, Donghae began to think up every colorful curse that he knew to throw at Sehun when he got his hands on the model later that evening.

--

The two best friends had walked down several streets before stopping in front of their favorite pizza place. When they were still in school, they had often dropped by for an after-school snack on their way home, to Jongdae’s exasperation since he had been forced to foot the bill each time. It was a nice reminder that, although life seemed to be transitioning and changing all too quickly, there was still some semblance of Jongin’s innocent childhood that had withstood the clutches of time.

A familiar jingle sounded as the two young men passed through the glass double doors and it wasn’t long before they were in front of the cashier, ordering their usual: an extra large pizza topped with black olives, Italian sausages, and several pinches of sea salt. Sehun couldn’t help but salivate when the waiter carefully placed down the massive pizza in front of them and the enticing odor of the food wafted into their noses.

During the fifteen-minute wait for their pizza, Jongin had updated the model on his lasting lack of inspiration and how frustrating it was to be completely unsatisfied with everything his previously god-like hands created.

“Why don’t you try something new?” Sehun suggested while he pulled a slice from the pizza pie, hungrily watching the stringy edges of cheese stretch into thin and oily strands.

Jongin stared at him questioningly as he chewed on his own slice of pizza. “What do you mean?” the artist asked after swallowing.

Sehun ripped off a piece of his pizza slice with his teeth before using his tongue pull it in so that he could chew and savor the magnificent unhealthy combination of tomato sauce, melted cheese, toasted dough, juicy sausage bits, and chewy black olives that contained carbohydrates galore. It was enough to make a grown man cry. Not to mention, the greasiness and fatty oils made everything taste infinitely better. Donghae would be horrified if he saw the model right now. “You’ve been sketching and painting for your whole life, right?” Sehun finally said once he had tossed the crunchy pizza crust into his waiting mouth and finished chewing it with a blissful sigh. God, he loved pizza.

Jongin nodded slowly, unsure of what his best friend was trying to imply, while grabbing a napkin from the canister on the table to wipe away the oil residue that was now on his hands.

“Well, why don’t you explore other fields? Like sculpting or printmaking?” Seeing that the artist was about to protest, based on his dubious expression, Sehun immediately grabbed another slice of pizza and mercilessly shoved it in Jongin’s open mouth. “Hear me out before you shut down the idea, okay?” He beamed when his best friend rolled his eyes before nodding, albeit uncomfortably with a mouth stuffed full of pizza. “I’m not saying you should give up drawing and painting, because God knows what a loss that would be. But maybe you should step back from the easel and use your artistic mind in other ways to see if that sparks some ideas that you can translate onto your canvas later on. Genius idea, right?”

The artist’s response was to pick off one of the black olives from the pizza slice hanging from his mouth and throw it at Sehun’s face.

The model yelped and hastily batted it away. He didn’t mind consuming oily junk food that was bad for his health, especially due to his occupation, but nothing was to touch his clear, flawless face. Such a perfect face was only born once every millennium. “What the heck, Jongin! What was that for?!”

“For speaking nonsense,” his best friend deadpanned.

“You know you love my genius, ‘nonsense’ ideas,” Sehun replied. He then leaned back in his seat with a self-assured smile painting his chiseled facial features. “When have I ever steered you wrong?”

He did have a point. Although Jongin was still reserving judgment on the recommendation to Bright Vision Eye Clinic and Dr. Kim Junmyeon, who the artist decided didn’t exist in his world. The only relatively positive result that had come from that idea was his meeting with Dr. Do Kyungsoo, but even then, Jongin didn’t know if anything would actually happen if he continued seeing the ophthalmologist.

The lack of progress was increasing his skepticism that he would ever be cured and some days, it was so difficult to wake up knowing that his career was most likely done for. Invasive black tendrils of the overwhelming darkness surrounding Jongin seemed to clamp around him, tighter than ever, whenever he brooded alone in either his bedroom or his work room. He had no peace of mind whenever he was trapped by these enveloping vines that seemed to be everywhere. They wrapped around his legs, his arms, and his neck, constricting him until he felt like he couldn’t move or breathe. It was so suffocating being in this slump that he seemed to be unable to claw out of.

“Jongin, don’t worry so much.” A soft smile appeared on Sehun's face as he gazed with understanding at the artist, who was visibly lost in thought. “You’ll get through this, okay? Let’s finish this pizza and then call Yixing to bring us home.”

“Yeah... Thanks, Sehun.”

Jongin really didn’t know what he would do without his best friend.

♈♈♈