"My company manages models and actors and does photoshoots," I explain to the boys. "I'm a junior set designer and I help with makeup occasionally."

        My boss rounds the corner away from us, typing furiously on her phone. 

        "Sajangnim! I have the file you asked for."

        She turns around with a smile. "You have excellent timing, Miss Lee. They gave an extension until today, but I had forgotten to tell you," she says, taking the file from me.

        "Oh, Sajangnim! These are my friends, Lee Hyuksoo and his son Lee Hyukshin," I say.

        Her eyes meet Hyuksoo and studies him for a moment. She walks around him, touches his shoulder, and tugs on his jacket sleeve.

        "Perfect," the older woman grins. "Just what I need. Can I get your measurements?"

        "Yes, ma'am," he bows, not quite sure what to do with himself. He gives me a panicked, pleading look and I smile reassuringly. I pick up Hyukshin and follow my boss and Hyuksoo to the dressing room.

        "Please take his measurements: height, weight, body mass index, chest, shoulders, everything," my boss says, addressing the three assistants scrambling to bow to her respectfully.

        "Yes, ma'am," they chorus. As soon as my boss turns on her heel to leave, they surround him, taking off his jacket and mussing with his hair and clothes. It feels awkward, even for me the observer.

        "You're really pretty," giggles one of the girls, Eunjoo. "Are you a model?"

        "Uh, no?" Hyuksoo almost asks. He raises an eyebrow at me and I copy his action from my chair in the corner. His brows are slightly unkempt but not out of control. Nothing that can't be fixed with a little attention.

        I find that hard to believe," pipes up Eric, clicking his pen to take down the numbers. "Do you know your weight?"

        "Sorry." Hyuksoo goes to bow, but Jina makes a noise at him to stand up straight. She holds her tape measure out to record his waist, but she pouts in frustration.

        "That shirt needs to go," she says slowly. "Too baggy."

        Eric scoffs. "Don't put him on the spot like that, Jinnie." He pulls Hyuksoo over to the side and pokes at his abs with the blunt end of his pen. Hyuksoo lifts up the hem of his shirt a bit and Eric nods.

        "Yeah," he says. "It's all right. You're good."

        Hyuksoo tentatively pulls his shirt off in that weird thing guys do. I can faintly see the outline of his ribs even after he gives his shirt to Eunjoo to put with the rest of his stuff.

        "Shoes off and stand on that scale," Eric says quite flatly. He's a little squishier than he wants to be, but he always tells me how he can't seem to shake it off no matter what he does. He's probably feeling a bit sad, jealous even of Hyuksoo's slight frame, even though he looks sick or stressed to me.

         "Wow! 56kg! You're little for being so tall. We'll beef you up a bit. Height? 185 centimeters. I could've guessed. What is that? Body mass index is . . . ah, goodness . . . 17? 17.5. You're a bit underweight." Eric scribbles something on his clipboard.

        Hyuksoo rubs his neck. "What would be normal, then?"

        "More than 18.2," I add.

        "What would I have to do?"

        "We'll gradually introduce foods into your diet that would add some weight, get you into a workout routine, that kind of stuff," Eunjoo smiles.

        "Has he got the job already?" Jina asks, measuring around his chest.

        "Surely! Did you see the way Sajangnim looked at him when she brought him in here? She really likes his look."

        "She said he was perfect," I nod. Hyukshin gives a supportive thumbs up.

        "Who's this? Chaerin-ah . . ." Eric trails off.

        "He's mine," Hyuksoo smiles, but it slowly fades. "I'm a widower."

        All three faces fall and the assistants are silent, not quite sure how to react. "Oh," they say. 

        "He's really cute," Jina says, trying to break the ice a bit. Hyuksoo tugs his shirt over his head and grabs his jacket. 

        "Thank you," he says. He sits on the floor beside me and ruffles Hyukshin's hair. He crawls onto his father's lap, snuggling his face into the crook of his elbow. Hyuksoo rubs circles into the boy's back once more, his hair at the same time. I can hear a small yawn in response. It makes me want to visit my mom and ask her to hold me like she did when I was little. I miss sitting on her lap. I probably always will.

        "Unnie!" Eunjoo calls, breaking my thoughts. "Will you show them around?"

        I look down at Hyuksoo. I can't help but laugh lightly at his expression: a small child guarding a precious beloved stuffed animal. "Would you like to shadow me today?" I ask. He nods and stands up from the floor. Hyukshin groans uncomfortably, wrapping his legs around Hyuksoo's waist and hugging his neck. His eyes are rolling lazily.

        "What's wrong, Shin?" I ask.

        "I'm sleepy," he mumbles into the collar of Hyuksoo's jacket.

        "Take a nap, buddy," Hyuksoo says quietly, kissing his son's head and smoothing down his fluffy mane.

• • •

        Hyukshin is fast asleep on the couch in the lounge area, my emergency nap blanket spread over him. It smells a little like lavender and is devastatingly comfy. Hyuksoo sits next to him, humming quietly.

        Dara shuffles across the floor and slides onto the couch next to him. "Hey, new kid," she says roughly, but not wanting to wake the little one. She flashes a million-dollar smile when Hyuksoo turns around. "I'm Park Sandara. Lee Hyuksoo, I presume?" Smooth. A little too smooth for my liking. Why is she being like this?

        "Yes," Hyuksoo replies casually. "Nice to meet you, Miss Park."

        "Aw! What a beautiful little boy! He looks like a little angel sleeping like that. Does he always sleep with his hands on his face?"

        "Uh, yes. His name is Hyukshin."

        "I'm sure you're proud of him. He's so smart! I can tell just by the way he's got his face fixed. He looks like he's thinking about something really hard!"

        "I guess so," chuckles Hyuksoo.

Oh, unnie! You just went over there to talk about the baby. So funny. I smile to myself. I would've done the same thing, honestly.

• • •

        "All right," Sajangnim clasps her hands together. "I'd like you to take a small camera test. Nothing overly complicated, just a few shots for evaluation, to figure out your style, things of that nature. I'll let you meet another one of our models, Hong Jonghyun. He's very sweet and warm. I think you'll like him. He's quiet like you, but he can show you a few things. Does that sound all right?"

        Hyuksoo's face lights up like a Christmas tree. "Yes, ma'am."

        "Great! Off to wardrobe with you, then. Chaerin, I want you to do makeup and hair for a sense of familiarity. After wardrobe, go to Studio Two. I'm getting the team together in there. See you in twenty minutes." She briskly walks off to the studio.

        "She seems intimidating, but she's pretty cool," I say reassuringly. "Follow me."

        I lead him to the dressing room to the stylists. They immediately start pulling clothes off the racks and looking at sizes compared to Eric's notes.

        He's handed a simple white button-up, a pair of close-legged black slacks, and a pair of black dress shoes and pushed into a changing room. He emerges a few minutes later and I hurry him into the makeup chair.

        I quickly find the right shade of concealer and apply a bit to his pale skin after a short, warm rinse. I swipe a bit of mascara over his dark lashes and a pale lip color. I use a tiny bit of bronzer over his sharp cheekbones to highlight them a little more. 

        I've already heated my trusty straightener, so I clip on the styling cape and begin to straighten out his thick, soft hair. I work as fast I can, sweeping out a side bang and combing it down.

        A knock on the door. "Hello?" Jonghyun asks, poking his head in the room. "Sajangnim is ready."

        He steps into the room, wearing something similar. His chestnut hair is in his signature center part and combed neatly behind his ears.

        I pull the cape off and toss it into the hamper.

        "Lee Hyuksoo," Hyuksoo bows politely.

        "Hong Jonghyun," the other young man bows in return. "Nice to meet you." They shake hands lightly and Jonghyun escorts him to the Studio. I flop down in the makeup chair, totally exhausted.

        "You too, Chaerin-ah!" Jonghyun calls.

        I run to catch up with them. Jonghyun opens the door for us and we step onto the plain white set.

        Sajangnim praises me on my work. "Good job, Miss Lee," she says. "I didn't give you a lot of time, and you did well. Did you apply any makeup?"

        "I used a light concealer, some mascara, and a highlight to his cheeks," I explain.

        "It's really lovely."

        "Thank you, Sajangnim."

        Hyuksoo and Jonghyun oppa take their places on the set and the camera shutters go off. Jonghyun throws his arm around Hyuksoo's shoulders and pulls him in for an friendly hug. Hyuksoo is a few inches taller, and Jonghyun acknowledges this with a small laugh. The boys smile at each other. Click click click.

        "I want some shots of you two together with some more serious expressions, then several of Hyuksoo alone," Sajangnim calls. "You look like old friends."

        Jonghyun smiles and shakes his head. His smile fades quickly. Hyuksoo has a distant, almost sad look to him, contrasting with Jonghyun's expression of simple amusement. He makes Jonghyun look small and a little less handsome just standing next to him.

        "He looks really quite androgynous," I hear someone behind me remark. 

        "He doesn't even look Korean, really. It's really interesting."

        "He's so tall and handsome."

        "Jjong looks a little ugly next to him."

        "Sajangnim doesn't want overly thin models, I thought."

        "She get him into shape, that's for sure."

        "He's a natural!"

        "I like his expressions."

        "Wow, he looks like an alien!"

        "He's so gorgeous."

        "This is Chaerin's friend? He's just as beautiful as she is."

        "She's prettier, though."

        "She's really a sweet girl."

        "He seems really gentle-natured and polite."

        "Just like her."

        "Are they dating?"

        "Don't jump to conclusions. Can't they just be friends?"

        "I was just curious."

        Sajangnim's elbow nudges my side and she chuckles. "Do you hear this?"

        I'm staring down at my shoes, hands clasped in front of me. I just nod lightly. She pats my shoulder unexpectedly. I want to turn inside out and die of embarrassment.

        I look up to watch Hyuksoo's solo pictures being taken. He sits down sideways on a chair, crossing his left leg over the right. He's glaring lightly at the floor, turning his left cheek to the cameras.

        "Look at his profile!"

        "How lovely!"

        "He's perfect."

        Most of these comments come from the women of the staff, but the men can't help but be astonished as well.

        I'm proud to be Hyuksoo's friend right now.