Ren’s POV

I stood in front of the mirror and smiled at my reflection, pleased with today’s outfit. I was rocking a pair of black designer jeans with a red sweater with a white stripe design on the left sleeve. Underneath the sweater the white tails of a collared dress shirt peeked out. I wore a pair of black and white basketball shoes on my feet. I leaned forward in the full length body mirror and carefully placed strands of my short black bangs across my forehead. I took a few steps back and spun around. I looked good. My confidence was through the roof. There was no way I’d fail at today’s casting audition today. I happily skipped out of my room and past the kitchen inside of my apartment; there would be no breakfast for me today, despite the fact that eating was literally one of my favorite past-times. I thanked the lord for my fast metabolism that made up for my dinosaur-ish eating habits. But a fast metabolism could only do so much sometimes. I had to look my absolute best. Today was the casting call for a major modeling agency looking for new models. Ever since I was a child it had always been my dream to be a model. I had style and I definitely had a unique look. I felt as if I was just born to do this.

I left my apartment and hopped down the stairs, making my way across the parking lot and towards the side of the street where I called a taxi. I caught a ride until I arrived in downtown Seoul in front of the modeling agency headquarters. I paid the taxi driver then climbed out. I stared up at the agency sign out front of the building as the taxi disappeared behind me. I had butterflies in my stomach, but I was ready for this. I had practiced for hours on my walk last night in preparation for today. I wasn’t going to mess this up. At least not this time. I had failed several other auditions over stupid, petty mistakes. There were times I tripped over my own two feet in front of the judges. One time I had been called out for hunching over too much as I walked; in my defense, I was starving and it hurt to walk. Other times they simply chose someone better than me. I still had yet to shine out in this industry, but I wasn’t giving up hope! Today was the day, I just knew it!

I hurried inside and was directed into the locker room where dozens of other both male and female models sat waiting for their number to be called. I glanced down at my number. I was number 62. I sighed. I would still have a while to wait until it was my chance to impress the judges with what I had. I sat down on one of the benches beside a row of lockers and waited. Number after number was called. Sometimes as the models returned into the locker room they were smiling and excited while others sometimes walked in almost in tears. As I continued to watch as I waited for my turn, I couldn’t help but notice that there were a lot of frowning, unhappy faces returning through that door. As my number drew nearer, I felt my stomach start to tie itself in knots. As number 61 was called I felt as if I would throw up. I stood up and started to pace around the room to calm my nerves. When the model before me walked out with a confident smile on her face as if she had been accepted, I knew it was my turn and I forced myself to step through that door.

I entered a long practice room with wooden floors. On the opposite end was a table of four judges waiting on me. As I made eye contact with them I suddenly felt extremely intimidated. They were completely decked out in designer duds. I glanced down at my own outfit that I had been so proud of earlier and felt underdressed. Well, it was too late to change now…

“You may begin. Let’s start with your walk.” One of the female judges said. I nodded then straightened out. I calmly put one foot in front of the other and started to gracefully walk forward, making sure to keep my shoulders held back this time. I traveled the length of the room and stopped several feet in front of the judges table before swiftly turning around and continuing my walk back to the other side. When I reached my original starting point I turned around to face the judges who were discussing something amongst themselves. I felt my stomach start to turn and twitch again.

“Not bad.” One of them replied as they started going through my file that I had pre-submitted. They flipped through several of my photos that I had professionally made of myself. One of them glanced up with a scowl painted on her lips.

“You don’t have a polaroid.” She coldly responded.

“U-um, I’m sorry?” I asked, silently having a mini panic attack on the inside as I struggled to keep calm on the outside.

“We specifically asked that you include one of yourself in your portfolio before you submitted it.”

“P-P-Polaroid?” This was my first time hearing of it. Was this true? I mentally gasped. How could I have left it out? I blew it. For once the judges seemed impressed with me and I managed to screw it all up! How dense could I be? Oh, Ren. Don’t sell yourself so short. I’m sure you’re capable of much worse, just give it time… dammit.

“Any model can look decent with Photoshop. We request a polaroid because the image on the film cannot be tampered with in any way.” She replied.

“There are no bare-faced photos in this portfolio.” A male judge arrogantly replied. I immediately looked over in his direction where he met my gaze with his cold, piercing eyes. “We like to see what we’re working with before the makeup. A bare face means potential. A made up face means restrictions. Is this your first casting call?” He bitterly remarked.

My heart sunk.

“You don’t have to be so hard on him. It’s obviously his first one.” One of the female judges came to my defense. By now I was completely humiliated. This wasn’t my first casting call audition. But yet I made so many simple mistakes… I was just a clueless klutz, wasn’t I? My grades failed in school. After high school I didn’t even attempt to apply for university either because I knew I wouldn’t do any better there, if I could even get in, that was. So I opted for my original dream of modeling. But I even failed at that as well… I bowed and apologized to the judges for wasting their time.

“It was my first time,” I lied. “Thank you for giving me the opportunity to learn from my mistakes.” I replied then bowed again and ran out of the room. I pushed past the sea of models still waiting in the locker room and tore out from the building in general. Once I was standing outside of the agency I stared up at the sign and sighed. You’ll get it next time, Ren. Today just wasn’t your day. I forced a half-witted smile on my face and dug my hands into my jean pockets. I lazily kicked one foot out in front of the other and made my way down the sidewalk. As I traveled further into the city, I passed by a food stall parked on the side of the street. My stomach growled. I approached the owner and smiled at her, holding my hand out in front of her and showing her all five fingers. I ordered five sweet potatoes and was met by a startled, wide eyed look.

“Are you ordering for your friends?” She asked, confused and looking around for said friends. But they were invisible. I was all by my lonesome.

I shook my head, still smiling. “They’re for me. I’m fat.” I joked. I knew it was the complete opposite. But at times when I was upset, I binged. Hell, even at times were I was perfectly fine I binged. I didn’t really need a reason to eat other than… well, food, duh. But the times where I was upset were especially worse. I would order a large pizza and eat it all by myself, eating a pint of ice cream for dessert. Even then I would still roam my fridge or food pantry. The woman hesitantly handed them to me after I gave her my money. I smiled at her and thanked her then went on my merry way. As I continued traveling deeper into the city holding my bundle of warm sweet potatoes to my chest in this chilly weather, I stopped once again when I came across a magazine stand. I took a big bite out of one of the potatoes as I scanned through all the rows of magazines with my eyes, searching for one in particular. I gasped when I realized they had the new issue of Elle out. On the front cover stood a famous male Hallyu movie star wearing what looked like- “House of Kim~!” I squealed like the fanboy I was.

The magazine stand owner blankly stared at me. “You’re a boy… that reads Elle?” He replied mockingly. I nodded, my eyes still glued to the front cover. I didn’t let his judgmental words get to me. I had grown up around narrow minded people like him; I was simply used to it by now. I was too great for this world. I didn’t expect for everyone to understand me. I started admiring the structure of the suit the Hallyu star had on. House of Kim was probably my most favorite fashion line in the entire industry, even though I didn’t own anything by them because of the sheer price of one of the items alone. Not much was known about the designer behind the famous brand of luxury quality. The designer never really made his or her face known to the public and then suddenly disappeared four years ago, stopping their designs for one reason or another. I gasped. Was House of Kim back? I had to know.

“Here!” I forced my bundle of hot sweet potatoes into the hesitant stall owner’s arms as I picked up the magazine. The man screeched at me.

“Why do you have so many?!”

“Because Im fat!” I ignored him and flipped the page open to the movie star’s twelve-page spread. In each photo he was wearing a different piece all from the same clothing line that I recognized as House of Kim’s designs. I glanced down at the credentials and noted that they were from 2015’s winter collection. My heart leapt. They were back! House of Kim was finally back! I was excited to see their new and future designs. I continued nonchalantly flipping through the magazine, completely forgetting about the sweet potatoes that I had asked the shop owner to hold onto for me. He gritted his teeth in annoyance at me.

“You! This isn’t a library! Take your potatoes, pay for the magazine and go!” He screeched.

“My, my, there’s really no need to yell, now is there?” An obnoxious voice suddenly called out from the side. The two of us paused then glanced behind the shop owner to see a redheaded man standing behind him. I glanced down at what he was wearing. He was completely decked out in designer winter gear from a line I didn’t recognize. Regardless of its unknown name, I found myself liking it. It was a mix of punk rock and modern. I watched him as he held out a bill with his gloved hand. “It’s on me.” He replied, smiling at me. As he spoke I detected a slight accent… Chinese?

I awkwardly nodded and thanked him, despite the fact that I was weirded out. “Thanks… I guess.”

“Now come with me.” He instructed as he started turning. I stared at him with wide, shocked eyes. Go with him…? Where? What was going on? Who was this strange man? Without saying as much as a word to him, I took the magazine and spun around, taking off running in the opposite direction of the redheaded man. When he realized that I had run off, he quickly spun around and started running after me. I quickly stole a glance over my shoulder and shrieked when I noticed him coming after me and actually catching up. I swung my arms and legs out in front of me madly, trying to pick up speed while screaming like a madman through the town. The two of us received strange looks as he chased me all the way downtown. When I couldn’t feel my legs anymore I collapsed on a public bench and literally wheezed for breath while the strange man knelt down with his right arm resting on the bench as he too gasped for air.

“What do you- GASP- want from- GASP- me???” I managed to sputter out between breaths. The man reached inside of his coat and handed me a card written in Chinese symbols. I threw it back at him. “I have no idea- GASP- what this means…”

“It means I want you!” He exclaimed. I screamed then covered my face with my hands, raising my right leg, ready to kick him in self-defense if need be. He stood up straight then gave me a strange look as if I was the crazy one. He took a step forward.

“STAY BACK!”

“What do you think I am, exactly?” He asked, confused.

“A ert!” I exclaimed.

“I’m a fashion designer!” He shouted back, grabbing at his clothes. “I design clothes! I’m not a ert!”

I paused. “You’re… what?”

“Look, maybe we got off to the wrong start. I should have said this back at the stand; my name is Fu Long Fei, designer of JA Style based in Hong Kong. But you can call me Jason.” He replied, introducing himself to me. I still didn’t trust him.

“Did you design those clothes you’re wearing?” I asked.

He smiled at me. “Of course!” He paused then gave me a cocky look. “Why? Do you like them???”

“They’re nice…” I cautiously replied, admiring his clothes while still being completely weirded out by the situation I was finding myself in. Jason laughed.

“Well, thank you. I try.” He winked at me.

“What do you want with me?” I asked. He leaned forward, observing my facial features and invading my personal space. I awkwardly shifted back in the bench, trying to scoot away from him and put some distance in between us. This obviously didn’t work. He only scooted closer. Jason smirked.

“Your face… I like it.”

What the hell? “Um, thanks?”

“It’s very… unique.”

“Once again; thanks?” I asked, still creeped out by this random stranger that claimed to be a fashion designer from China. It was a creative story, but the likelihood of this being true…

“Have you ever thought about modeling?” He suddenly asked. I stared at him with stunned eyes. How did he know…? Had he been following me? Was this a stalker? Oh no… don’t tell me he spotted me leaving the modeling agency earlier and was using this as a disguise to secretly kidnap me or something… Although he was dressed nicely, one look at this guy just screamed ‘ert.’ I forced a smile on my lips, scooting further away from him.

“It’s crossed my mind. Why? What does that have to do with you?” I cautiously asked.

“Uh, duh! I want you to model for me! I’m in town for a Seoul showcase of my work and I just so happened to notice you standing there at that magazine stand and thought to myself: wow! I have to have that one!”

“I’m a bit creeped out…”

“Don’t be! It’s the real deal! You’re being street casted by the designer himself; now that doesn’t happen every day. You should be grateful.”

I stood up, pushing him out of the way in the process then threw my head back and laughed. “Yeah, right. I know I might not be the smartest person in the world, but even I’m not as stupid as you think. I’m not going to fall for your little trap, so just mind your own business and go, ok? While I’m still being nice.” I warned. Okay, so, I didn’t have a mean bone inside of my entire body, but this guy didn’t know that.

Jason blinked. “Trap? It’s not a trap… Look!” He suddenly exclaimed, pulling out his phone and running a search on his fashion line on the internet. He held his phone out to me and I glanced at the several images and links that came up after running his name. I furrowed my brows at him before taking his phone and going through several of the links. According to all that I found, JA Style was indeed a real brand. Not only was it real, it was actually somewhat famous back in China and even in Japan. Several pictures of the eccentric redhead popped up in the search results as well. Jason snatched his phone back from me. “See?” He smugly responded.

I pointed at myself. “You want… me?” I asked in disbelief. I had just had what I thought was the worst day of my life, and then suddenly this guy magically appears… Despite his offer, I was still somewhat skeptical and even hesitant. Jason seemed to notice the look of disappointment on my face. He tilted his head to the side in worry.

“What’s wrong? You don’t seem too happy about my offer.”

“It’s my dream to model… but, I don’t want to be confined to just one brand my entire career.” I replied. Jason furrowed his brows in confusion. I continued. “I don’t want to just wear JA Style. I want to wear… other brands too.”

Jason laughed. “Other brands? Like who?”

“House of Kim.” I instantly replied. Jason paused before pouting.

“House of Kim??? Why him? That guy is bad news!” Jason replied, suddenly catching my interest. I stared at him with wide eyes.

“House of Kim is a man?” I asked. Jason gave me a puzzled look.

“Oh course he is… why?”

“Only a few people have ever even got the chance to work with him, let alone see him. Have you… have you met him?” I asked, excited about the chance of having met someone who could have possibly worked with him. Jason nodded.

“Indeed, I’ve worked with him. And to be honest, I don’t see what the big deal is about him. This cloud of mystery he tries to draw around himself is bad publicity! I’m proud of my work and want my face known for it, meanwhile he chooses to stay out of the limelight. It’s not as if he’s unfortunate looking…” Jason continued to ramble.

“Why is he bad news?” I asked, tearing him from his thoughts. He gave me a conflicted look.

“He’s rather… well,” Jason couldn’t quite form his thoughts into words. “You’d understand if you met him.”

“Can I meet him?!” I jumped at the chance. Jason laughed.

“Woah! Don’t jump the gun so early!” He paused. “Why? Do you want to meet him?” He darkly grinned as if he was planning something.

I hysterically nodded. “It’d be my dream!”

Jason smirked. “It’s possible… I might get the chance to work with him again. He recently came out of hiatus, so who knows?” He replied, folding his arms across his chest. “You won’t find out unless you take me up on my offer.”

I hesitated. “But I can’t leave Seoul like this…”

Jason blinked. “Leave? Whoever said anything about leaving? I have an office right here in Seoul. I merely said that I’m based in Hong Kong, but I have a shop and office here as well. I periodically pop in and out whenever it calls for it.”

A wave of relief washed over me as I heard that I wouldn’t have to leave Seoul. Looking at his offer now, it didn’t sound like such a bad thing after all. I would get to model, which was my dream, and I might get the chance to meet the famous designer behind House of Kim, which was my other dream. I’d have to be crazy to turn down such an offer now. I glanced back at Jason and smiled. “Alright; it looks like you’ve found yourself a new model!” I cheerfully replied. Jason’s face lit up.

“Oh, I’m so happy you said yes! Come, follow me! I promise you won’t regret this!”

 

 

About an hour later I found myself walking into Jason’s shop which was situated on a rather busy corner in the Gangnam district. The large window displays showcased several different outfits that he had designed on mannequins lined up side to side. There were several designs for both es, although his true talent seemed to lie in street fashion with a hint of formal wear. As I entered I spotted a rather large portrait of G-Dragon hanging on the back wall of the shop. Jason caught me looking at it and proudly explained to me that G-Dragon himself was the muse for most of his creations and that he had even designed some of his stage outfits as well. I was floored. Jason really was famous, wasn’t he? We climbed the staircase up to the second floor of the building which led to an office floor. As I followed him to his office we passed by a short brunette who was sitting at a small circular table with a taller black haired man, both were sipping coffee. I could feel their eyes pierce me as I walked by them but they said nothing and sat in judgmental silence. Once we were inside the safety of Jason’s office, I was thankful when he shut the door so that the two strange men that had been staring at me could no longer stare. Jason returned to one of his filing cabinets behind his large desk and shifted through the folders, pulling out a document and placing it down before me. I stared down at it.

“Don’t be so surprised! It’s a contract! We do things formerly here. God, I swear, you act like I kidnapped you and forced you here against your will!” He joked, giving me the chance to read over it before signing, which I did. There didn’t seem to be any faults in the contract, nothing that could be used against me. But it was strange though…

“Don’t you at least want to see me walk first?” I asked, confused.

Jason seemed uninterested. “You can easily be taught how to walk here if you can’t.”

“I can walk.”

Jason smirked. “Can you? A time-saver; I love it.”

“Those two that were sitting outside… are they some of your models?” I curiously asked. Jason nodded.

“Well of course they are! The short one with a bad attitude is Aron Kwak, the tall one with cat-like reflexes is Hwang Minhyun. They’re my best models… for now. They’re not as pretty as you are.” Jason replied, leaning forward on his elbows on his desk and admiring my face. I uncomfortably took a step backwards. For now? Why did I suddenly feel like an unwanted competition would be headed my way?

“I’m not here to steal anyone’s spotlight.” I replied. Jason frowned.

“Well, why not? The more popular you become, the more famous. The more famous, the more offers to branch out into other fashion brands. Don’t you want to someday model for House of Kim?” He asked. I stared at him, my heart racing at the possible chance of even somewhat having an opportunity to model for my favorite brand. “Then you need to shine out as much as possible in order for him to notice and want you.”

“But wouldn’t that go against the clauses in the contract?” I asked. Working for another fashion line while being contracted under another was a lawsuit waiting to happen. At least without permission, that was. Jason smiled at me.

“I really want you, so here’s what I’ll do especially just for you.” He replied then took the contract in one hand and a pen in another and started scribbling down on it like a madman. I could hear the sound of the pen tip crazily scratch across the surface of the desk. With as many rings he had decked out on all of his fingers I was even surprised he could write. When he finished writing he turned the document around to face me. I hovered over it and read what he had wrote. He had added another clause to the contract, stating that if I received the opportunity to work specifically for House of Kim, that I would be allowed to do so, but that I would still be contracted under JA Style and Jason would personally see to all of my outside promotions. I glanced back up at him in shock. He really wanted me that much that he was willing to share me? “So what do you say?”

I smiled back at him and eagerly nodded. “I’ll do it.”

“I know how much House of Kim means to you and how it’s your dream and all, so I’m willing to make the exception. But only for House of Kim, got it? It’s because we’re partners! He’ll never take what isn’t his; that’s not how he works.” Jason confidently replied, starting to walk back and forth around his office.

“So then I really can meet him?” I asked. Jason spun around and faced me.

“Later. Right now I’m busy. I have a showcase tonight…” His voice trailed off as his face lit up. He pointed at me. “You should come. Yes, yes, come! Aron and Minhyun will be walking the runway tonight, so you should see them and see how a real show is done.”

I smiled. “I’d love to.”

“Terrific! Now let’s find you something to wear.” Jason replied then swung open the door to his office, revealing the faces of the two men who had been staring at me earlier. They had been eavesdropping with their ears pressed against the side of the door. As Jason opened the door the two stumbled backwards and awkwardly pretended as if they had simply been passing by. Jason shot them a dirty look. “Is this how you spend your time? The two of you should be preparing for tonight! Go! Go!” He scolded them and together we watched as they scurried off upstairs, which I took it that he used the third floor of the building for training and practice for the models. I followed Jason back downstairs into his shop. He pulled one of his formal suits off of one of the racks and held it up in front of me. I waved my hands around in protest.

“You don’t need to go through such a length; I have plenty of clothes at home-”

“Right, but you represent me now. All that you wear, at least at public appearances and events should be my clothing, understand? Just think of it as part of the job.” Jason replied then shoved the black suit onto my chest. I glanced down at it to see several different slangs and phrases stitched into the jacket. It was a blend of formal and punk attire, something which I could definitely see coming from Jason’s creative mind. I took the suit and bowed.

“I’ll wear it well.”

Jason grinned. “Well of course you will; I have great confidence in you.” He replied then handed me an invitation from out of his jacket. I glanced down at it and read the address the runway show was to take place at and the time. I took both the invitation and the suit back with me to my apartment where I intended to prepare myself for tonight.

 

 

Later that night, as 7:30 approached I appeared down at the venue where Jason’s runway show was about to begin, dressed in the clothes that he had given me. As I entered I handed my invitation to the event coordinators who let me inside. I received several looks of admiration as I weaved my way through the crowd, anxious to get to my front row seat on the left side of the runway. I kept getting stopped by reporters and fashion blog writers, asking me who designed my outfit. I stopped several times to address these questions before finally making it out of the crowd. I hurried over to my seat and sighed with relief before taking a look around. The room was dimly lit, the only lights being the stage lights which were focused on the runway. Upbeat techno music played in the background while Jason was nowhere to be found. He was probably backstage behind the curtain paying attention to last minute details of the show before it was to begin. While I waited I suddenly took notice of a blonde scruffy haired individual sitting next to me, doodling on a writing pad. I glanced over at him, actually a bit startled and appalled. Did he even own a hairbrush? And his clothes were… atrocious for tonight’s event. He was wearing a black hoodie with a white lettering print over it, black jeans and black basketball shoes. It looked as if he had just walked in off the street and randomly decided to attend the event. In the background I could hear voices of others talking about his appearance.

“Look, he’s here.”

“How does he keep getting invited to these shows?”

“Who is he again?”

“I heard he’s a fashion blog editor.”

“HIM?”

I tuned the voices out and curiously peeked at what he was doodling. It was nothing more than a bunch of nonsense lines. Suddenly his pen stopped moving and he glanced up at me through the corners of his eyes. I had been caught. I smiled at him.

“What are you drawing there?” I asked. He gave me a hesitant, uneasy look before pulling the writing pad into his chest and covering it. I took slight offense to his sudden action but disregarded it.

“Nothing…” His voice trailed off. He seemed uncomfortable that I was actually noticing and wanting to talk to him. I couldn’t help but feel a bit taken aback. I was just trying to be friendly…

“I see.” I shortly responded before turning my attention back over towards the stage. It was clear that he had no interest in talking to me-

“…I’ve never… seen you before… Are you… new to the industry?” He asked in a small, almost hard to hear voice. I glanced back at him, surprised. So he did want to talk to me. I had just wrongly jumped to conclusions after all. I smiled at him.

“Actually, yeah. Jason invited me.”

“Jason?” He asked, somewhat stunned. He quickly shook it off. “I’m sorry, but who are you…?” He quietly asked.

I extended my hand out to him. “Hi, I’m Ren. I’m sort of… one of his new models. Signed on today.”

He quietly stared down at my hand for the longest before slowly inching his hand out and reaching for it. When he took my hand I firmly shook it then released him. I must have frightened him by my powerful handshake, seeing as how he somewhat jumped, startled. He timidly brought his hand back and returned to holding the writing pad close to his chest. After spending a moment in silence, he hesitantly glanced back up at me after taking notice of my clothes. “…You’re wearing one of his designs, aren’t you?”

“Wow,” I blinked. “You could tell?” I asked, somewhat surprised. He flashed me an offended look. When he realized he was glaring a bit too hard at me he softened his gaze and looked away.

“…You think I couldn’t?” He quietly asked. It was hard to hear his low voice underneath the loud blaring of music.

“Um…” Uh-oh. A classic case of foot-in-mouth. Great job, Ren. You just offended someone you just met. I had to stop doing that, especially so often… I probably needed to get out more. I watched as the blonde sat up straight in his chair and placed the writing pad down on his lap.

“I write for a fashion blog… so… I know a thing or two about it.” He reluctantly replied.

“Really? Which one?” I asked. He gave me a surprised look, as if it were strange that I was interested in what he had to say. I realized I was probably prying too much and awkwardly apologized. “Sorry. I read a lot of fashion blogs and was curious if I ever read one of your articles…?” I rubbed the back of my head when I realized I had failed to ask him his name. He faintly smiled at me.

“JR.” He simply replied.

“JR?” I asked. I had never heard of him. But dear god, I had already offended him once in the span of the five minutes that we had been talking. I wasn’t going to tell him that and offend him yet again. He turned his attention back over towards the stage.

“I like… fashion. I know it’s hard to tell, but… I like it.” He simply replied, referring to the fact that he looked like a fashion terrorist. I forced a smile on my face.

“There’s nothing wrong with wanting to be comfortable.”

JR glanced back at me and shyly smiled. “Right?” He replied. I completely disagreed with his statement but I didn’t want to make enemies with him. It would probably be a terrible idea to upset a fashion blog writer. After all, he could be writing future articles about me. The music suddenly grew louder and the lights around us dimmed, except for the stage lights that brightened on the runway. The room went silent and everyone took their seats; the show was about to begin. A female model appeared at the end of the runway and started making her strut to the very front wearing one of Jason’s elaborately designed dresses. As she made it to the front, she did a twirl then headed back as a male model started walking out. The two crossed paths halfway. I stared at the suit he was wearing in admiration. Jason surely had a unique style, one which took elements from rock and punk culture with a twist of sleek London style. The male model struck a pose at the end of the runway before turning and meeting another model halfway. I paused when I recognized the second male model from earlier. It was the brunette that had been giving me a dirty look upstairs in Jason’s office. I stared up at him; back when I had seen him he had a bare face, but now it was adorned with black eyeliner and smoky makeup, making him look dark, mysterious and attractive. Aron kept his gaze forward ahead of him, not allowing any distractions and keeping up a professional appeal. He paused for a brief moment at the end of the runway before turning back.

I glanced over at JR beside me who was furiously scribbling down notes that he was making. I wondered what he could possibly be writing so intensely like that… I shrugged then turned my attention back over to the stage. Several more models walked the length of the runway, all except for one. The show was nearing its end and I had yet to see the tall model that accompanied Aron at Jason’s office. Was he not in tonight’s show? No, that couldn’t be. Jason had urged the both of them to stop wasting time and prepare. He was definitely supposed to be in it- I paused when I noticed the lights completely shut off. The music suddenly changed to a faster beat, followed by the stage lights flicking back on and focusing directly on the tall male model that stood at the very end of the runway. There were several ‘awes’ in the audience as he quickly made his way down the runway wearing probably the most elaborate yet sophisticated piece of the night. JR flipped his page over beside me and quickly presumed taking notes as Minhyun passed us and stopped at the front of the stage. He made several prearranged poses that showcased the best aspects and details of the clothes he was representing, spending far more time on the stage than all the other models combined. I suddenly realized why this was; Minhyun was the headliner, or in other words, Jason’s top model.

I stared at Minhyun in awe. He looked so flawless up there. He made walking the runway look so effortless, like he was a natural. He just looked so elegant with every movement he made. I felt so… inspired all of a sudden. I wanted to be more like him. Everyone around me suddenly rose to their feet and started clapping as Jason walked out in front of the rest of his models down the runway, stopping beside Minhyun and throwing his arm around him. The two smiled at each other and took a bow. The show had ended. After giving his acknowledgement speech and thanking all of his sponsors, Jason and the rest of the models disappeared backstage while the attendees all stood around and lingered to discuss the concepts they had just seen at tonight’s show. A little while later Jason and his models slipped into the crowd and were pulled every which direction by other designers and fashion writers and editors. I happened to glance Minhyun’s way, who was being bombarded by reporters asking dozens of questions. I froze when I suddenly heard someone call out to me.

“Liked what you saw?” A voice spoke out from beside the runway. It was Aron. He was leaning with his back pressed up against the side of the runway and his arms folded across his chest. He had changed his clothes, but his eye makeup was still drawn on. He seemed to look at me through narrowed eyes. Was I imagining things, or did this guy already have something against me? I stood up from the chair beside JR and joined Aron.

“That was amazing. You looked great out there-” I started to compliment him but he rudely cut me off.

Aron raised an intimidating brow. “Is that so?”

I blinked. I was suddenly receiving really bad vibes from him. “Um, yeah…”

Aron darkly smirked. “The opinion of an amateur doesn’t mean much to me.” He coldly replied. I was stunned by how rude his behavior was to me when we had barely just met. I fought to keep it together. It would look bad on me if I just snapped. I wasn’t here to fight with the other models. Aron glanced over in Minhyun’s direction, still talking to me. “Minhyun is the headliner at JA Style. If you know what’s best for you, you’ll learn your place.”

I remained silent. How was I to respond to something like that?

“Don’t even think about interfering; got it?” Aron leaned forward and glared at me. I silently nodded then watched as he turned his back to me and walked away. Once he was gone I returned back to my seat in shock. What was that guy’s problem? And why did it matter so much to him about Minhyun’s status at JA Style? I wasn’t out to steal anyone’s thunder. I just wanted to model while searching for my favorite designer in hopes of one day meeting him. But Jason said that headliners were usually the models that stole the top designer’s attention. If I shone brightly, would House of Kim really notice me someday? In order to do that, though, it would require a bit of competition. I already felt myself causing trouble and confrontation, something which I really didn’t want. But… if it meant I could meet my dream designer, wouldn’t it be worth it? I wasn’t sure. I wanted to succeed in this industry, not make bitter enemies that could possibly be out to destroy me.

JR slowly and awkwardly stood up from beside me. I jumped out of my thoughts. Had he been sitting here this entire time? Why? Mostly everyone had already got up and left if they weren’t lingering out to speak to the models or Jason. But JR had simply just been sitting there. What a strange guy… I glanced his way. “Hey,” I called out to him as he barely passed my chair. JR stiffly froze. “JR, was it?”

JR silently nodded.

“So it turns out that I’m in a crummy mood all of a sudden. I know this sounds crazy, but do you want to grab a drink with me? I don’t want to be alone right now and I’m interested to hear your views on fashion.” I replied. He slowly turned around, pointing his index finger at himself in amazement.

“You want to… with me?” He asked in disbelief.

I nodded. “Yeah, why not?”

JR paused. “You want to be seen… with me? You know what the other reporters call me behind my back, don’t you?” I blinked, shaking my head. JR continued. “They call me the ‘fashion terrorist.’”

I had to suppress the urge to giggle. I could believe it. In fact, I came upon that very conclusion in the first fifteen seconds I spoke to him. But I liked to think of myself as kind. I would never directly voice my opinion of somebody, especially if it was less than favorable. I smiled at him. “You seem like a pretty down to earth guy. So how about it?” I asked. JR smiled back at me.

“Sure.”

 

 

The two of us sat across one another in a booth inside of a local bar minutes away from where Jason’s show had taken place. JR fidgeted the entire time we were inside; it seemed like he was out of his element. It was strange; how could someone as unusual as him get where he was at now? How did he manage to become a writer for a fashion blog, despite his awkwardness and less fashionable taste? Not to mention those things I heard about him from the bystanders at the show. According to them, JR was always at these fashion shows and always managed to score a front row seat. Did he maybe know somebody in the industry? Maybe that was how he got to where he was, because honestly I couldn’t see a person as shy as him managing to make it to such a position he was in. When the waitress arrived with our order, she placed both glasses down on the table then left. I glanced over at JR who slowly took the glass in the palm of his hand and left it resting on the table. I smiled at him.

“You’re supposed to drink it, not stare at it.” I . JR immediately brought his head down, avoiding my gaze. I frowned. “I was just joking. No pressure.” JR shook his head then lifted the glass from the table, bringing the rim to his lips. He took a small sip then crinkled his nose in disgust, placing the glass back down. I laughed. “Not much of a drinker, are you?”

“I didn’t… want to be rude.” He replied, keeping his gaze fixated on the table rather than looking at me.

“It’s fine,” I reassured him. “So tell me, JR, how did you get started in the fashion industry?” I asked, curious to hear his story. He awkwardly turned the glass on the table and stared at it.

“It was a mistake.” He simply replied. “I applied for a job as a news writer. I was assigned the fashion segment.”

“Really? But I thought you said you liked fashion?” I asked. He went silent for a moment. There was sudden tension in the air. I felt as if I had asked something that I shouldn’t have, but I couldn’t think of anything wrong with the question that I had asked…

“It just so happened that way. I started going to shows, writing live reports and it just worked out. I got better at it, and so I left the newspaper that I originally worked for and went to working for a fashion blog. I just wanted to work from home, to be honest.”

“But yet you still attend the shows?”

He nodded. “That’s the only time I really ever go outside.” He replied. I went silent. So this guy was a loner? Now his awkward behavior made sense. He was hardly ever around anyone that he didn’t really know how to act.

“That’s a shame; there’s lots of fun things to do outside.”

“Not when you’re alone.” He quietly replied.

“Not really; I live alone and I still venture outside and manage to have fun, even by myself.” I replied, smiling at him. He finally glanced up and looked at me for the first time since we arrived. He gave me a surprised look, as if going out alone seemed unheard of.

“You’re alone too?”

I nodded. “Well, yeah. My parents kicked me out a long time ago after graduation when I told them I wouldn’t be going to university, heh. Most of my friends did end up going though, and I kind of lost touch with them after that. I found I couldn’t relate much to any of them anymore. So I’ve just been going off and doing my own thing ever since then. And you?”

JR paused. “I don’t like… going outside.”

I blinked. “Why not?”

He shook his head. “I just don’t like it.”

“What if you weren’t alone?” I asked. “Would you still not like it?” I was met by a surprised look from him.

“I don’t… know.”

I took the glass and pressed the rim against my lips, downing the entire contents all at once. I slammed the glass back down on the table, making him jump in his seat. I smiled at him. “Want to try it?” I asked.

“W-what?” He asked, confused.

I laughed. “I’m saying ‘let’s be friends.’” I offered.

“Friends?”

I nodded. “Why not? It couldn’t hurt. And besides, I have a feeling I’ll be seeing a lot more of you as my career starts to take off.”

A small smile spread across JR’s lips. “I’d like that.”

“Great!” I replied, relieved. I was halfway expecting to be rejected. To be honest, I was surprised he was even agreeing to my proposal. He didn’t seem like a half-bad guy. I pointed at his drink. “But you have to learn how to drink first!” I .

JR uneasily glanced back down at the drink then frowned before slowly raising it up in his hand towards his lips. He tilted his head back and quickly consumed all of the alcohol inside the glass. When he finished he slammed the glass back down on the table and then leaned forward on both elbows, his palms pressed up against the sides of his face. He deeply inhaled then shook his head. I laughed at him. He really wasn’t one for alcohol after all. It was a bit amusing how he drank it at the opportunity of becoming friends. It made me wonder just how lonely he really was. For someone who chose this type of lifestyle, it was rather… shocking to see that he would so eagerly want to become friends with a stranger like me. It wasn’t unwanted, just unexpected. I ordered another round. A few minutes later the waitress came back with our order. I handed a glass to JR and smiled, holding mine up to him.

“Cheers?”

JR shakily raised his glass and tapped mine with his. “Ch-cheers.”

 

 

The next morning when I awoke I noticed that I had several missed calls and messages, all from the same person: Jason. I gasped. What time was it? I quickly glanced over at my alarm clock. Oh god, it was already noon! I glanced down at the trail of text messages Jason had left me. At first they were calm, but as I continued to scroll downwards they grew angrier and violent. I shuddered. Jason was rather scary when irked, I learned that now. Well, it wasn’t as if I wasn’t afraid of him during our first encounter, but still… I shot up out of bed and literally tore into the shower, quickly washing my body and hair. I dried off and quickly got dressed, my hair still soaking wet as I grabbed my shoes at the door. I hurried out and caught a taxi over towards Jason’s shop, literally bursting through the door like a madman and running upstairs where Jason was waiting for me. I was met with an irritated look and a scowl.

“You dare to be late on your first day?” Jason scoffed. I deeply bowed, apologetic.

“I’m sorry. I lost track of time last night and I must have overslept-”

“I’ll say. You’re lucky I like you so much. What in the world were you doing last night that kept you up so late?” Jason asked, annoyed. He demanded a rightful explanation.

“I started talking to one of the fashion blog writers sitting beside me and things started going really well and so we went for drinks after the show.”

Jason gave me a curious look. “A writer? Which one?”

“He said his penname was ‘JR.’ That’s all he told me.” I replied and was met by a surprised look. Jason went quiet for a moment as if lost in thought.

“Did you? I see… Anyways, did you enjoy the show?” He asked, quickly changing the subject. I smiled brightly and quickly nodded.

“It was amazing!” I exclaimed. “Your designs looked breathtaking down the runway.” I replied. Jason smugly smiled, folding his arms across his chest.

“That’s because I have amazing models. Speaking of models, they didn’t cause you too much grief last night, did they? I happened to see you speaking with Aron and you didn’t look so good.” He asked worriedly. I shook my head, lying to him. I didn’t want to cause unnecessary trouble.

“Ah, that? Aron-sunbae was giving me some tips; he was very nice to me. No problems here.”

Jason gave me a skeptical look, raising a brow. “Aron being nice? Now I know you’re lying to me. I saw that look on your face last night; you wanted to slap him.”

I shook my head in protest. “I’m not lying, honest.”

Jason sighed. “Well, whatever. I already gave those two a talk about keeping the terrorizing to a minimum. You should go upstairs and get better acquainted with them. Your training starts today. I’ll be upstairs shortly to see how you walk. And never be late again! If you keep this up, I’ll never introduce you to Mr. Kim!” He instructed. I nodded, bowed then made my way upstairs to the third floor of the building. As I reached the third floor I noticed a few models hanging out in the hallway, talking amongst themselves. The chatter stopped when I approached them and it went silent as they intended to ignore me and cast me out as the newbie. I felt the tension in the air but held my head up highly, trying to ignore it while I made my way to the practice room. What should have been a twelve second journey felt like it took an eternity. When I finally made it to the practice room, I quickly entered and shut the door behind me, pressing my back against it for good measures.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Aron’s voice suddenly called out to me from the far corner of the practice room. I felt my heart stop. Dammit. Please don’t tell me I was stuck alone in a room with him. He was probably the last person I wanted to deal with right now. I slowly glanced his way and was surprised when I noticed Minhyun quietly standing next to him, staring at his reflection in the mirrors that adorned all of the walls inside of the room. He was observing every detail of his physique. Aron marched up to me and slammed his hand against the door above my left shoulder, glaring at me. “This door stays open. It gets too hot in here otherwise.”

I silently nodded, not wanting to further piss him off. I stepped to the side and allowed him to open it again. Once he had propped the door open he coldly turned his back to me and made his way back over to Minhyun. I awkwardly watched them as Aron helped Minhyun stretch. What was Aron to Minhyun exactly? I couldn’t help but wonder. They were both models. Minhyun just so happened to be the top model. Wouldn’t that make Aron envious of Minhyun’s spot? But instead it seemed like he wanted to be around to help insure that Minhyun kept it. Whatever it was that they were, it was definitely odd.

Aron loudly sighed in annoyance. “Take a picture; it’ll last longer.”

“Sorry.”

“What do you want? Why are you even here?” He asked, taking a break from assisting Minhyun. Minhyun remained silent and focused on his own activities, not even paying attention to me in the slightest. I glanced at Aron, a bit confused. Did he not know? Surely he knew. These two were eavesdropping on me when I signed the contract. Not to mention he gave me that snide remark at the fashion show last night. He knew I was a model here now. It’s just that he viewed me as possible competition and chose to play the ignorance card to see if he could bother me.

“Um… I work here now? I signed on yesterday? Don’t you remember?”

Aron arrogantly paused. “Hmm, I don’t seem to recall.”

I scoffed, irritated. “Right.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Maybe that you’re a terrible liar?” I shot back. Aron glared at me in disbelief.

“Those that don’t respect their seniors don’t last long here; don’t you know that, or are you just that ignorant?”

“Look, what’s your problem?!” I snapped. I couldn’t keep it in any longer. This guy had been rude to me the second he laid eyes on me when I didn’t do anything in the slightest to deserve it. Aron shot up and marched back up to me, grabbing me by my shirt and shaking me. Minhyun calmly looked back over his shoulder and spoke out.

“Aron, enough.”

Aron hesitantly paused. “But-”

Minhyun coolly smiled at him. “Let it be.” He replied then continued to stretch by himself in front of the mirrors. Aron gave me a dirty look then released me, stepping backwards with his open hands held up in front of him. He darkly smirked, trying to give me an intimidating look down from head to toes. I scoffed in disbelief. The nerve of some people. To think I even tried to stand up for this guy, and what do I get out of him? This? I should have never tried to defend him back in Jason’s office. Aron certainly didn’t deserve it. Funny, all it took was three words from Minhyun to call him off. What was he, Minhyun’s dog? How pathetic. From now on I was certain that I wouldn’t be making any friends here.

Jason suddenly entered the room, standing at the very front. He waved his arm at me, instructing me to go stand at the back of the room. “Now let’s see you walk.”

I quickly scurried over to the back and stood waiting patiently for him to tell me to begin. Once he signaled me, I calmly straightened up my spine and relaxed my shoulders, taking one step in front of the other at a fast pace. When I reached the center of the room, I heard Aron suddenly snicker at me. Although this alarmed me, I couldn’t allow for distractions and I kept walking until I reached the other end of the room where Jason stood waiting for me. By the time I reached him, Jason folded his arms across his chest and frowned at me. Before he got the chance to speak Aron spoke out.

“You mean to tell me you signed a model that can’t even walk?!” Aron continued to pester me from behind. I tried to tune him out. He’s just trying to get to you, he’s just trying to get to you, Ren… Don’t listen to a word he says and keep your head held up high. You knew this wasn’t an easy industry to enter. You’re lucky enough to have practically been handed this opportunity. All that matters is what Jason thinks, and if he offers you constructive criticism, take it.

Jason glanced over at Aron standing at the back of the room beside Minhyun who was silently watching me. “Do you believe that is so, dear Aron?”

Aron scoffed. “Don’t make me laugh.”

“Hmm…” Jason’s voice trailed off as he shifted his gaze back onto me. “I see… It’s not impossible to work with. You have room for much improvement, Rennie.”

I bowed deeply before him. “I’ll do whatever you say.”

A small smirk spread across Jason’s lips as I stood back up straight. He smiled brightly at me then stepped forward, placing both hands on my shoulders. “Glad to hear it. In that case, we’ll have you trained by the best, isn’t that right, Aron Kwak?” He called out to him while still facing me.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Aron asked, walking forward to join us. Jason turned to him as he stopped by our side.

“The way you’re bragging; you must be the best, am I not correct?” Jason asked. Aron went quiet, a dark look spread across his face.

“I’m not training him. Let him figure it out on his own.” Aron muttered.

“Your contract with JA Style will be coming to an end soon. Have you looked into other companies that will have you?” Jason paused. He was met by a startled look by Aron. I continued to quietly observe, feeling somewhat of a burden after hearing that Aron didn’t wasn’t to train me. But it wasn’t exactly a surprise, now was it? “Ah, that’s right. News of your rotten attitude has spread and now no other label is willing to work with you, is that correct? And aren’t you climbing up on the age ladder?”

Aron shifted his gaze down to his feet, remaining silent.

Jason smiled. “I’ll reconsider renewing your contract with me, but only if you earn your place here. Both you and Minhyun teach him.”

“But why does it have to be us?” Aron asked. Minhyun remained quietly observing from the back of the room.

“Because I have big hopes for this one. I want him to learn from the best. If you don’t agree, then leave. It’s as simple as that, dear.” Jason simply replied, laying down the law. Aron gave him an uneasy, hesitant look before glancing my way. I took a step backwards, almost preparing to be hit by him. By the look on his face, I could tell he really didn’t want to do this. Aron sighed then bowed.

“Yes, sir.” He finally agreed. Jason smiled.

“Good. Don’t disappoint me. Work with him the rest of the day or as long as it takes.” Jason said then left me in their hands, leaving me alone in the room with the two of them. Once he was gone Aron scowled at me.

“If he thinks I’m going to train you to be better than me, he’s crazy.” Aron snapped at me. Minhyun suddenly walked forward from the back of the room, passing the both of us and heading towards the door. Aron turned back and glanced at him with wide eyes as he passed us. “Wait! Where are you going? Jason said that the both of us-”

Minhyun coolly smiled at him, tilting his head to the side. “Exactly. Have fun with that.” He coldly replied before walking out the door, leaving a stunned Aron standing beside me. A brief look of hurt spread across Aron’s face before he quickly let it fade, turning his lips into a frown as he glanced back at me. He pointed behind me at the back of the room in annoyance.

“Do it again.” He replied in frustration. I thought twice about going against him. He was already in a bitter mood. I didn’t exactly want him to train me either, but at least I was being a better sport about it. I spun around then attempted to walk the entire length of the room again with Aron watching me. When I reached the other end of the room I could hear him sigh angrily. “That was terrible. Do it again!” He ordered and I turned around and walked the length of the room again. When I returned back to him, he suddenly took me roughly by the shoulders and drug me towards the exit and into the locker room next door. We passed the rows of lockers and came to a stop when we came across the last row and out of sight. In the middle of the walkway was a support beam. Aron roughly threw me up against it. I screamed at him.

“HEY!”

He raised his hand in front of me. “Stay put.” He ordered then left me, walking around the corner of lockers and disappearing for a brief moment before returning with a roll of masking tape. I stared at him with wide eyes as he approached me with it.

“What in the world do you think you’re doing?!”

“The reason why your walk so much is because you have terrible posture. This will help fix that.” He replied. I dryly laughed.

“Do you really expect me to believe a story as ridiculous as that?”

“It doesn’t matter if you believe it. It works.” Aron shoved me back against the beam and began to wrap the tape around me in double layers, tying me down to the pillar. I fought against him the entire time but in the end, he succeeded and I lost. He nearly finished the entire roll of tape securing me down. When he finished, he twirled the roll around his index finger and darkly smiled at me. “See you in the morning.”

Wait, did he just say morning?

“Have fun.” He taunted, waved then turned his back to me, making his way towards the exit. I screamed. There was no way I could stay taped up like this to the support beam until morning!

“HEY! HEY!!!!”

Silence.

“SOMEONE! HEY!!!!” I screamed out again, only there was no one to come to my rescue. I gritted my teeth. Dammit! I glanced around me. There had to be a way out of here… I couldn’t stay here… I continued to call out for help without any luck. When I realized that no one would be coming for me, I hung my head down low in defeat. I would have to wait for the next person to walk inside here, however long that would take…

 

 

What felt like several hours later, I had managed to pass out in boredom while strapped to the pillar. When I opened my eyes the room was dark. Had someone been inside while I was asleep and walked right past me, even going so far as to shut off the lights? No… from what I remembered when entering the locker room, I had noticed that there were no light switches, which had to mean that the lights were motion activated. I tried violently moving my head to trigger the lights back on. They finally flickered back on. I paused. I must have looked ridiculous just now… or, rather, more ridiculous that I already did. It wasn’t exactly a welcome sight to see someone taped to a beam. Now that I thought about it, this scenario just screamed the beginning of a video. I shuddered. There was no way I would participate in something like that, not even for all the money in the world. My thoughts were suddenly interrupted when I heard the sound of footsteps enter the locker room. As they neared the corner, I called out to them.

“Is someone there???”

Minhyun suddenly turned the corner of the last row of lockers and stopped, startled in his tracks. He furrowed his brows and gave me a questionable look. Judging from what I had seen of him earlier, he didn’t seem like the friendliest of guys, but even then, he seemed nicer than Aron. I had to hope that he would help me out of this mess.

“C-Can you give me a hand?” I stuttered, feeling intimidated by his presence inside of the room. A small smile crept upon the corners of Minhyun’s lips as he folded his arms across his chest, shifting his weight onto his left leg.

“That’s a… rather interesting hobby.” He quietly teased me.

“I swear to god this isn’t a hobby- can you help me out of this? Please?” I pleaded. Minhyun chuckled then let his hands drop to his sides as he started to walk forward. He approached me then started to tug apart and rip at the tape. My spirits rose. Oh thank god. At least one of them had a heart. After several minutes of ripping through the many layers of tape thanks to Aron, he finally managed to free me. I fell forward into his chest, my entire body stiff as a board. Minhyun caught me then placed both hands on my shoulders, pulling me away from him and putting distance between us. I bowed in front of him. “Thank you- thank you so much!”

“And who is the mastermind behind this genius plan?” He asked.

I quietly shifted my gazed down to the floor. What would happen if I told on Aron? Better yet, what would happen to me if he found out that I told on him? He already taped me to a building support beam. I didn’t want to imagine what more Aron was capable of. I remained quiet. Minhyun chuckled.

“Never mind. I already know the answer.” Minhyun replied. “You’re lucky I came along.”

I bowed deeply again. “Thanks so much…”

Minhyun turned his back to me. “Don’t mention it. To anyone, as a matter of fact.” He replied, making his way into the showering area of the locker room. He stopped in front of the row of sinks, staring at his reflection in the mirror. I poked my head behind the wall, staring at him.

“Um, I’m sorry? I don’t quite understand-”

“I keep to myself here. You should do the same.”

I paused. Now I understood. Minhyun really didn’t like me either. I pursed my lips together, annoyed that I ever had to come across such people like them. “Alright, fine. Whatever. Once again, thanks.” I said, turning my back to him and about to head out of the locker room when he suddenly called out to me. I stopped in my tracks.

“Ren, was it?” He asked, pausing for several seconds before continuing. “Let me give you a word of advice; the nail that sticks out above the rest always gets hit by the hammer. Understand?”

I smiled in annoyance, glancing over my shoulder to look back at him. “I understand clearly; I’m the nail and you’re the hammer, aren’t you?”

A satisfied smile spread across Minhyun’s lips in the reflection of the mirror. “Bingo.”

Let it go, let it go, Ren… Don’t already tick off Jason’s top model on your first day here… I balled my hands into fists down by my sides. No, screw it. I wasn’t going to take this. If I decided to be passive on the first day, this type of behavior towards me would only continue. I angrily spun around and marched up to Minhyun by the row of sinks, stopping barely an inch away from him and turning him to face me, standing directly in his face. Minhyun gave me a startled look, as if I dared to touch him. Tcht. I didn’t care. It wasn’t like he was royalty. “You want to know what I think?”

Minhyun stared at me with a bored expression on his face. “Why don’t you tell me, then?”

“You wouldn’t be so rude if you didn’t feel threatened by me.” I snapped.

“Threatened?” Minhyun suddenly laughed as if I had told a joke. He pursed his lips together then scoffed. “You think so? You should only be so lucky.”

“I wanted to try to get along with you guys, but you decided since the moment you saw me to view me as competition.” I replied.

“To be viewed as my competition would be an honor; don’t tarnish it with your wild hallucinations.”

“Really?” I asked, raising a brow. “You don’t think I can be Jason’s next top model?”

Minhyun narrowed his eyes at me. “You think you can?”

“You tell me. Jason handpicked me off the street himself.” I shot back. A shocked look briefly spread across Minhyun’s face before he quickly let it fade. He flashed me a look of superiority.

“The street, you say? Was it perhaps beside a dumpster of last season’s clothes?” He asked. Anger boiled through my veins. He could insult me all he wanted, but to insult my fashion… I had to restrain myself from throwing the first punch. He was just asking for it. He and I both knew that if I caused any trouble that I could easily be thrown out. He was probably counting on me to mess this up somehow. But I was intent on never giving him that satisfaction.

“You can say whatever you want, but deep down you know I’m right. Even Aron knows it. The both of you are scared that I’ll show you up, aren’t you? You’ve suddenly made this into a competition all by yourselves without even so much as asking me about it. Look, I’m not here to steal anyone’s spotlight. I’m just here so that I can model while finding someone I’m searching for. I was going to spend my time here nicely, but if it’s a competition you want, then by all means.” I warned.

Minhyun paused. “Searching for someone?”

I scoffed. “Suddenly you’re so interested?”

“Is it a model?” He asked. I shot him a dirty look. “The quicker you find him, the quicker you’ll leave, is that right?”

I stopped for a moment to think. I had signed a contract with Jason for two years. I couldn’t exactly walk away from something I signed. But if it was possible that Minhyun knew who this was and how to meet him more quickly than through Jason, I had to take that chance. Besides, a little white lie never hurt anyone, did it? “I’m searching for Mr. Kim.”

“House of Kim’s Mr. Kim?” Minhyun asked.

I nodded. “I’m only telling you because the odds of you having worked with him before are probably-”

“I did work for him.” Minhyun replied, cutting me off. I stared at him with wide eyes.

“Are you… are you serious?”

“Jason did a collaboration with House of Kim a while back. I modeled at the show.”

“You mean you’ve seen Mr. Kim???” I asked, almost star struck. Minhyun shook his head.

“I never said that.” He replied, dashing my hopes. Minhyun laughed. “Are you joking? Very few people have seen that man’s face.”

I sighed. “Forget it then.”

“Why?” He asked. “Why are you so intent on meeting Mr. Kim?”

“Do you know what it’s like to have a favorite designer?” I asked.

“I have several.” He replied.

“I have just the one. House of Kim has always been so inspirational to me. To me, Mr. Kim isn’t just a designer- he’s a role model, someone I want to eventually work for.”

Minhyun folded his arms across his chest. “I might not have seen his face, but I’ve seen the inside of his studio before.”

I stared at him with wide eyes. “Have you really? Where-”

Minhyun laughed. “Do you really think I’m going to tell you where after you just declared war on me, little Ren?” He asked, highly amused. My heart sank. Dammit… I knew I should have just let everything go. Why did I have to go and mouth off to him? It seemed like it was back to plan A, which was through Jason. But there was no telling when I’d be able to ever find anything out through him- “You know, I’ve seemed to have changed my mind. I’ve decided that a little competition might actually be fun. So how about this, Ren? I’ll give you the address to Mr. Kim’s secret studio if you successfully manage to snatch the ‘top model’ status from me.”

I stared at Minhyun for a long, quiet time, weighing my options. Snatching top model status might require quite a bit of time, but then again, so would trying to find anything out through Jason. At least through Minhyun, finding out something was definite while with Jason, he might just be chasing me around in endless circles. I could be wrong though. Jason could end up surprising me by providing me with information or the chance to meet Mr. Kim before I achieved top model status. To have a fallback option wouldn’t be so bad. Plus, if I was successful in Minhyun’s little competition, I’d be achieving two amazing things: the chance to meet my hero AND be a famous, successful model at the same time. I smiled back at Minhyun, holding my hand out to him. “Deal.”

Minhyun fake smiled back at me, reaching for my hand and shaking it. “Deal.”

 

 

After my first mentally exhausting day at my new job and career, I practically crawled out of the building and into a taxi, just ready to go home. I couldn’t believe how miserable a day I had. At times like these I just needed to vent, but it was already late at night. I couldn’t call and complain to my older brother, who at times was like my best friend, but not quite. Aside from him, I didn’t really have anyone to talk to. I paused, remembering the blonde that I had met last night. If I called… would he meet me? I laughed. Probably not. But… he said it himself; he wanted to be friends, didn’t he? The problem wasn’t becoming friends. The problem was trying to get him to leave his apartment. As I recalled the previous night, I had walked him to his front door without even so much as being invited inside. Was his apartment a wreck and he was embarrassed, or did he just not want to let me into that area of his life yet? In either case, I dropped it, smiled, waved then went home by myself.

Curiosity got the best of me and I pulled out my phone. We had exchanged numbers last night at the bar. He hadn’t called or texted me since, even though I told him it was okay… I shrugged. I guess I’d have to be the first to reach out. I tapped his number and the phone connected. It rang several times before finally there was an answer.

“H-hello?” A small, faint voice poured out from the speaker. I smiled.

“Ah, sorry, were you asleep?”

“No.” He replied, followed by silence. I raised a brow. Well, this was awkward… Was I so sure that I wanted his company at a time like this? I shook my head. He was better than not having anyone at all. After a period of silence followed, JR was surprisingly the one to break it. “Um, what do you want?” He asked.

Ah, that’s right, I was still on the phone. “Are you doing anything?”

“No…”

I leaned back into the seat inside of the taxi. “I just got off of a stressful day at work. I could really use some company right now… Ah, sorry, I feel like I’m bothering you. Tell me if I am.” I replied, feeling slightly embarrassed for dumping my problems on someone I had just met the other day.

“I’m not… busy.”

My face lit up. “Really? Mind if I drop by then?”

There was a period of uncomfortable silence on the phone. For a second I had to pull the phone away to see if I was still connected to him and he hadn’t of hung up on me. The minutes of the length of the call displayed on the right corner of the screen, informing me that we were still connected. Finally JR spoke. “H-here?”

“Well, I somehow doubt you’ll come all the way out to my place-”

“I would prefer it.” He curtly replied, cutting me off. I blinked. Wait, what just happened? What did JR just agree to? Did he just tell me that he was willing to go outside into the world and meet me at my apartment? “A-Are you still there?” He suddenly asked. I snapped back to reality and chuckled.

“Yes, I’m here. Sure, why not? I’ll text you the address. I’m on my way home now. Meet you there?” I asked and he agreed. I hung up and quickly did as I said I would, sending him my address. I stared down at my phone for a moment, a surprised smile spread across my lips. Him offering to come to my place was totally unexpected, but not unwanted. I was actually a bit excited. This was the first friend to come to my apartment in ages. It had been so long that I actually somewhat forgot what it was like to just hang out. After being kicked out of home, I lazed around and partook in several part time jobs for a while. I had been so busy working that I didn’t have time to make friends or enjoy spending the money that I had earned. It wasn’t until a few months ago that I quit all of my jobs and decided to focus on my dream again, modeling.

Before dropping me off at home, I had the taxi pull over to a convenience store where I picked up a few cans of beers. I paid the taxi driver when I arrived out front of my apartment complex. As I was heading up the staircase outside, I noticed a strange hooded figure approaching out front, awkwardly looking around. I leaned over the railing and squinted to get a better look. Underneath the hood I spotted that wild, curly blonde hair of his. I waved the plastic bag in my hand, calling out to him. “JR! Over here!”

JR immediately looked up and in my direction. He smiled underneath his hood and followed me up the stairs and into my apartment after I unlocked it. I pushed the door open and stepped inside, slipping off my shoes. He did the same and neatly placed his off to the side as to not inconvenience me. I smiled at him. How nice of him. I invited him to sit inside of the living room. It was a tad bit messy, but it wasn’t a total nightmare to walk into. JR quietly sat down on my couch and stared down into his knees, creating an awkward aura in the air as he waited for me to talk first and break the silence. I sat down on the other end of the couch, placing the plastic bag on the cushion between us. I took out a can and held it out to him. He glanced up and slowly took it, bowing in silence to thank me.

“I’m a bit surprised you came out tonight.” I finally said to break the tension. He seemed rather uncomfortable.

JR stared down at the beer can in his hands. “To be honest, so am I…”

“Huh?” I asked, not quite hearing him. JR immediately looked up, removing his hood from over his head and revealing his messy blonde locks.

“This is the first... the first time anyone has ever really called me out. And so I came.” He quietly replied.

“Really?” I asked, shocked. I smiled. “You came out just for me? I’m touched! Heh.” I replied, opening my can of beer. “Drink up.”

JR awkwardly nodded then opened his can. He slowly brought it up to his lips and took a sip. He spoke when he lowered it down. “Why was it terrible…?”

I blinked, trying to comprehend what it was he was referring to. “Ah! My day?” I sighed. “Well, today was my first day at JA Style. I butted heads with Aron Kwak and top model Hwang Minhyun. They were… less than friendly, I’d say.”

JR gave me a surprised look. “Really?” He asked, pulling out a small notepad that he had kept hidden inside of his hoodie. He took out a small pen and began to scribble something down. “Aron Kwak and Hwang Minhyun, you say?”

I jumped. “Wait a minute, you’re not going to write some article on them, are you?” I asked, paranoid of the consequences of speaking freely to a writer. JR suddenly chuckled.

“No. I’m just… making a note of people to avoid.” His voice trailed off as he had to think about it before speaking. I nodded, not thinking much of it.

“It makes sense. Those two are the worst! Even though Aron tied me down to a pole, I think it was Minhyun who treated me far worse. He thinks he’s so perfect, but I think he’s just afraid of me. He’s afraid of me stealing his thunder.”

“You have a unique look… I can see him feeling threatened.” JR replied. I smirked.

“You think so?” I asked, taking another swig. JR nodded, keeping his gaze away from me and avoiding making eye contact.

“You could probably pull off any outfit. Meanwhile, Hwang Minhyun only models pieces that were specifically designed for him. It makes any designer frustrated when the model cannot wear the sample piece, which oftentimes is the only piece. You’re the right height, weight, and have a versatile face. This is probably why JA Style chose you.”

I stared at him. “Wow. You know so much.”

JR continued to avoid my gaze. “I like… fashion.”

I laughed. “I can tell.” I replied, taking another drink. I suddenly stood. “Hey, since you’re so knowledgeable about fashion, mind if I ask you to take a look at my closet? Minhyun kind of insulted my clothes earlier today. I want to know if he’s right.”

JR finally glanced my way, only, he wasn’t specifically looking at me. He was looking at my outfit. He silently stood. “Where is it?” He asked. I led him around the couch and showed him to my room. I opened the door to reveal a room with several magazine cutouts posted all over the walls, many of them being from some of House of Kim’s previous seasons. As JR entered he couldn’t help but be visually assaulted by all of my pictures. I opened the doors to my closet while JR remained standing in the middle of my room, staring at the walls. “You like… House of Kim?”

“‘Like’ is an understatement.” I laughed. “I’m obsessed.”

“Really?” He quietly asked. “Do you own anything by the brand?”

I pouted. “If only! Just a scarf is a whole month’s rent for me… Ah, someday! Someday a piece of House of Kim will be mine.” I replied then pointed into the closet. “Here it is.”

JR walked up to my closet and started shifting through the contents. Several minutes passed by before he finally turned around to face me. “It’s not bad…”

“Really?!” I asked. I didn’t know why I was getting so worked up over his opinion when JR himself hardly wore fashionable clothing. Maybe his opinion didn’t mean much, but after the day I had, I certainly needed an ego lift in which he provided. “That makes me so happy to hear!”

“Can I ask you something?”

“Ask away!”

“What is it about House of Kim that you like so much?” He asked. I gave him a curious look. He nervously smiled. “I like to hear the opinions of others on popular designer brands. You seem to have a good knowledge yourself…”

I smirked. “I do, don’t I? What can I say about House of Kim that isn’t said by each piece that’s presented? It’s a bold mix of modern luxury and business casual. I believe it can take even the plainest man or woman and turn them into a global trendsetter.”

JR gave me an intrigued look. “Really? Is that so…?” He quietly replied. I nodded.

“It’s really inspirational to me. I can’t afford it myself right now, but it’s my dream to someday wear those clothes, especially on the runway. That’d be so amazing. So that’s why I have to try harder to show everyone that I can do it.”

“What do you mean…?”

I shook my head. “Ah, it’s nothing. Just thinking out loud.” I replied, not wanting to discuss the business matters between Jason and I or the competition with Minhyun. I didn’t want to risk anything by accidentally leaking any information that could affect my potential meeting with Mr. Kim someday. For now I would have to keep silent and hope for the best. I smiled at JR. “Talking about fashion with you has been fun. I’m really glad you came out tonight, JR.” Without his company, I probably would have never survived my first day at JA Style. I was glad that we were becoming friends so fast and we were able to bond together over my one true love in life: fashion.

JR shyly smiled back at me, rubbing the back of his head. “Yeah… me too.”