"If I'm going to work here, I kinda need to make some changes," I thought to myself.

I opened a notebook I had in my purse and began taking notes.

 

Go on a diet

Get a membership at a gym

Get a haircut

 

I stared at it for a while. What else would I need to do? Well, I thought, I suppose I need to learn how to use makeup and dress better, even if it won't matter.

 

Go clothing shopping

Learn how to apply makeup

 

Is there anything else I would need to do?

 

Learn different poses

 

While attempting to write more, I heard a voice from behind me say, "I see you're actually interested in this."

I looked behind me and smiled. I believe his name is JiYong. Besides BoRam, he was the most welcoming person I met there. Even all the models and photographers would shoot daggers at me like I was stealing all the oxygen in the room or like I was a bad odor or something.

JiYong brought his face really close to mine so that we could both see my notebook. I was embarrassed, but he didn't seem like the kind of person to judge. He smiled. "'Learn different poses.' That's cute." He looked at me and chuckled. "It's not something you really need to practice. It should come naturally." He looked on more. "You don't necessarily need to go on a diet or workout. I think you look fine."

"Well, if it's not that, then it's surgery."

JiYong looked at me surprised. "Surgery? You're really unhappy with yourself, aren't you."

"You have no idea..."

JiYong looked at me a little longer, then looked back at the notebook as if thinking of what to say. "Well, it'd be better to go on a diet, as long as it's healthy, and to go to the gym. It'd be better than getting surgery. I can give you a haircut myself, if you're fine with that. How does that sound?"

I laughed. "Okay..."

He smiled at me before saying, "I have to go do something, but if you have any questions, call me over, okay?"

I nodded, and he walked away.

I took a deep breath. JiYong and BoRam were very kind, but I wasn't very excited about working as a model, especially under someone like Ha JoonYoung. He was sour. He talked about me like I wasn't there, he yelled at BoRam, and he kept yelling at the models and photographers. But the worst part of it all was that everyone just took it. No one stood up to him.

But I had to remember that this was as close to a decent job as I could get. Even if I have to do clean up for minimum wage.

I sighed. No need on writing a list of improving myself if I was going to be the janitor.

I looked over at the set. It looked like JoonYoung was suddenly going to explode, but JiYong quickly ran over to him and held him firmly by the shoulders. They seemed stressed over something.

Suddenly, JiYong pointed at me and JoonYoung looked at me disapprovingly. I turned red. I don't know what I did, but I didn't like the fact that they were debating over me.

Finally, JoonYoung took a deep breath and nodded. It was odd, it seemed that he couldn't get mad at JiYong. He began walking quickly towards me and I had the urge to run, but I stayed put and looked up at him until he came next to me.

"What's with that look?"

"Uh... um..."

"Get up, you need to put something on."

"Um..."

"Didn't you hear me? Stand up!"

I stood up, afraid. "Sir, I don't understand-"

JiYong quickly jumped in. "JoonYoung, it's okay, I'll take care of it." He put his hand on my back and gently led me away. "Sorry, he's upset. One of the models is sick, and he wanted her to be the one to wear this specific dress."

I was confused. "Well, I don't see why anyone else can't."

"It won't suit them."

"And it'll suit me?"

JiYong smiled. "I think so. He didn't want you to model today, or at all, but I think the dress will suit you perfectly, so we'll see how this goes."

I was led into the dressing room, and JiYong told the makeup artists about what happened, and then I was immediately seated and everyone began to flood over me and messing with my hair and face.

"Wait wait wait!" I shouted, but JiYong said there was no time. He immediately started to comb through my hair and once he grabbed the scissors, I had no control over what could be done.

My hair was already short, so he couldn't cut it any shorter, but he made sure it was nice and even. The change he did make, however, was with the dye. He dyed my hair brown! I wasn't sure I could find another decent job after that, considering they want you to look natural, but then again, the color wasn't outrageous.

JiYong smiled when he finished blow drying it. "Do you like it?"

"Ah, yeah." I smiled in reassurance. I hadn't planned on it, but it did look nice.

Soon, the makeup artists swarmed over me, and I couldn't see myself in the mirror. They were in a rush, as it seemed JoonYoung wanted to end the shoot at a decent time. I was afraid that they would mess up, so I sat as still as possible to reduce the amount of error. However, when they were finished, I got the chance to see myself in the mirror.

I was stunned. I actually looked beautiful.

"The power of makeup, huh?" one woman smiled at me before quickly walking away.

JiYong quickly reappeared and told me to stand, when immediately everyone began tearing off my clothes. I was surprised, and a little embarrassed, but it seemed that it mattered to no one else. It was just everyday procedure. I had seen them do it to the other models. Clothes on, clothes off. I especially remember seeing it in a documentary (which discouraged me even further) where the models had to change quickly before appearing repeatedly on the catwalk. There was no shame in other people seeing your body. Well, I was ashamed.

But no one was trying to see my body. They simply needed me to put on the dress quickly.

I wanted to see how the dress would look on me, but I was quickly whisked away to the set, when JoonYoung had just barked at someone to get me out.

When I entered, there was a hush in the room, but it made me uncomfortable.

"Wow..." Kang BoRam gasped.

I looked around, wondering what was going on. I looked down. Well, the dress was long and red and flowed down to my feet, but the top was pretty snug around me, especially my waist. It actually looked pretty unflattering from my view.

JoonYoung looked at me, surprised as well, I think, but then he said, "Yah. What's taking you so long, stand over here."

I walked over to a point where someone showed me. I was told to look in different directions, at first toward the camera. I didn't know how to pose, but I decided to be natural. So whenever they told me to look a certain direction, I did.

And that's how my summer began, in the blinding light of a photoshoot.