Kang Min Hyuk sat down inside his dressing room, facing the mirror in front of him.

The motif for the fashion show was y gothic, where most of the clothes were either sleeveless or backless. Min Hyuk had been in the fashion industry for six months, but he got popular for his innocent face yet hot body, thus gaining him fans for his cute and hot looks.

"Eotteohke?" he thought.

He hated the thought of wearing sleeveless shirt, not after that incident that left him scarred for life.

****

Flashback:

It had been years ago, when he was nine years old. He was in America, visiting some distant relatives with his Harabeoji. The house was situated near thick plantation where some wild animals would linger.

MIn Hyuk was strolling with his Korean-American cousins when they spotted a puma by the distance. The big cat was asleep, and one of the boys suggested that they all run home. The cat caught sight of them, so it got up on its feet and began to sprint towards the boys. They ran, but Min Hyuk stumbled upon giant rocks that he scratched his right arm along its length, and he fell to the ground. The giant cat began to maul him, picking his back with its teeth.

"Min Hyuk-ah!" his cousin shouted as he grabbed a stone enough to fit a small boy's hand.

The cat stopped when it was hit with the stone, but it began to growl. Min Hyuk had grown weak from the mauling and was exhausted that he lay flat. The puma began to run after the boys.

*BANG!

A shot was heard, and the big cat ran away in fright.

The little boys saw the good old hunter, their neighbor, who shot the puma.

"Please, Tomas," one of the boys said. "Min Hyuk is hurt."

The hunter rushed to Min Hyuk and carried the little boy in his arms. He hurried to the hospital to bring the poor boy, and instructed the others to get back to the house and inform Min Hyuk's harabeoji.

The old man went to the hospital after the news, and he found out that Min Hyuk had been in the operating room. The mauling was too bad that he needed operation.

Min Hyuk got out of the peril safely, but as a child, he was traumatized. He hated pumas and all giant cats--and cats in general. Later on, he thought he was going to be OK, but he was a kelloid former, and the wounds on his arm and his back formed ugly scars. Thus, he did not want to go around from the waist up, nor did he go around wearing sleeveless shirts.

End of flashback:

*****

When he got older, he entered the world of modeling, but he always asked permission from the designer not to let him wear sleeveless clothes. The designers usually give in.

But this latest designer won't.

"Everybody will see how ugly I am," Min Hyuk thought as he gripped the sleeveless shirt.

A Japanese model, Kamenashi Kazuya, passed by.

"Daijoubu (You OK)?" Kame asked.

It was hours before the show, but Min Hyuk was not getting ready, and Kame was worried.

"Iie (No)..." Min Hyuk said in Japanese.

Kame grabbed a chair and sat across him. He noticed the Korean guy gripping the shirt like he was trying to rip it on purpose.

"Oi (Hey), what are you doing with the shirt?" Kame asked.

Min Hyuk looked at the shirt, then at Kame.

"I do not wear sleeveless shirts," Min Hyuk said.

"Naze (Why not)?" Kame asked. "Sono shatsu wa kakkoii da yo (That shirt is cool)."

Min Hyuk never shared his secret to anyone, but he trusted Kame because the Japanese model was very amiable. Min Hyuk shared his secret, and when Kame heard of it, he gasped.

"Hontou? Ah... sore wa ikemasen ne (That's too bad)," Kame said.

"Min Hyoku-san, please get ready," the stylist said. "Makeup is next for you."

Min Hyuk felt blood escaping throughout his whole body and into his legs. Kame saw that his friend had gone pale.

"I will help you," Kame said. "Trust me."

The other model dragged Min Hyuk into the dressing unit and gave him some positive mantra.

"You are beautiful, no matter what they say," Kame sang to Christina Aguilera's song.

"That won't work on me," Min Hyuk said.

"Have you seen the 'Rurouni Kenshin' anime?" Kame asked, and Min Hyuk nodded. "Do you think that Kaoru pushed Kenshin away just because he had that infamous Battousai slasher scar on his cheek?"

Min Hyuk stopped to think.

"Kaoru loved him for who he is, not for how he looked like," Kame said. "If you only knew, my girl cousins even think that with his scar, Kenshin looks hotter than hot."

Kame told him that with the right mindset and being confident, the scars might even be his trademark and his asset. And girls would even swoon over him and might even choose him over the macho guys that they usually adore.

"G...geurae?" Min Hyuk asked.

Kame did not understand Korean. "Nani (What)?"

"Uh...eeto (uhm...) sou ka (Is that so)?"

"Ah, sou, sou (yes, it is)," Kame said with a wink.

So, in front of Kame, Min Hyuk took off his shirt and revealed his lean frame. Kame saw the scar on Min Hyuk's right arm and back.

"Wow! You look cool!" Kame said. "I am a guy, but I think you are hot!"

Min Hyuk did not know whether to take that as a compliment or as a form of ual harassment. He thanked Kame anyways.

"I do not know why the designer gave that shirt to you, but you better wear it well," Kame said.

Min Hyuk wore the shirt. To his surprise, it exposed his unwanted scars. Aside from it being sleeveless, it was mostly open at the back, with around 75% of his scar in view.

"You look ikemen now," Kame said. "Just wear yourself with confidence, and you will be fine."

"Min Hyoku-san?" the Japanese stylist called out.

"Chotto matte kudasai (For a moment please)," Min Hyuk said as he checked himself in the mirror.

Kame congratulated his friend and told him to go.

****

The designer, the stylist, and the makeup artist all saw Min Hyuk's scars. They asked him what had happened, and he told them it was from a childhood accident--no further explanations done.

"Well, any beautiful people can overcome disadvantages," the stylist said.

"The shirt makes your scars as your asset, Darling," the designer said.

Min Hyuk wanted to shy away, but because the people were praising him, he thought there was no more room for hiding his ugly scars any longer.

*****

The fashion show.

The models all walked the catwalk, and the girls howled when they saw the hot models. The designer knew how to design well. He made it a point that the models looked hot without even stripping off or wearing flimsy clothing. Just some few skin and cool designs defined y for him.

Kame entered first and walked along the ramp. The girls shrieked, and the KAT-TUN member winked at them. As he walked back to the backstage, Min Hyuk came in with his gothic look, thick makeup and all. His appearance sent a wave of awe and fangirl mode among the viewers.

"Omo, is that a scar?" a girl from the audience remarked.

"I see it as a scar, Eun Jung-eonni," her friend said.

"Whoa, his back even had a scar!" Eun Jung said. "What do you think of it, Jiyeon-ah?"

"He looks hot! Right, Qri-ya?" Jiyeon said.

"True, true!" Qri said, starting to melt. "He looks cute and hot at the same time, and his scars make him ier."

Min Hyuk walked in a cool manner that all the girls sighed in happiness.

"Awwww.... he is cool.... super dae to the bak!" another girl sighed in happiness.

Instead of shying away, Min Hyuk continued to strut on the catwalk and got back to the backstage with a newfound confidence.

****

"Min Hyoku-san, sugoi (You are amazing)!" the designer said.

"Arigatou," Min Hyuk said. "Yokatta (I'm glad)."

Soon, the press were flocking backstage to get some statement from the designer.

****

Min Hyuk's popularity was doubled because of his scars. Everyone thought that his scar looked good on him, and only skin experts from beauty clinics seem to hate him because they could not make him agree to have plastic surgery. Kekekek. Woe to them, because his fans loved him all the more because he was open enough to show them his flaws.

Indeed, Kaoru loved Kenshin for who he is, and did not leave him just because he had a scar on his face.

~~~~END~~~~

(up next: one-shot fic feat. Lee Jung Shin and Kim Hyuna)

~~~~