Chapter 20: I GUESS I NEED U.

Daehyun drank a chocolate milkshake in Ego cafeteria while he waited for the clock to reach noon.

    “Daehyun!”

    The said guy turned to see Jongup approaching the table where he was sitting.

    “Shh” Daehyun placed his finger on Jongup’s lips “I’m wearing the wig, so I’m Dasom, not Daehyun”

    “Sorry, my bad” he said and had a seat “I thought it’s your day off? I mean, It’s Dasom’s day off, isn’t?”

    “I have a meeting in Youngjae’s office, he said he wants to introduce me to someone named Song Jieun”

    “She’s one of the top fashion designers of Korea”

    “Top fashion designer?”

    “She went on hiatus some years ago, but rumor has it that she’ll make her comeback this year” Jongup explained “Maybe she wants you to be the main model in her collection”

    “You think?”

    “Yes” Jongup nodded “After all, you, I mean, Dasom right now is one of the most popular models”

    “I didn’t know that Dasom is one of the most popular”

    “Don’t you watch the news? Dasom is regarded as a natural beauty, one of the most beautiful Korean models ever; perfect hair, perfect face, perfect thick eyebrows, perfect puffy eyes, perfect nose, perfect plump lips, perfect body shape, perfect smile, perfect expression…”

    “Are you making those things up?” Daehyun flushed, he didn’t feel beautiful or special and yet Jongup bombed him with endless compliments.

    “I’ll show you” Jongup got his phone in his pocket and showed the thousands of fashion vlogs about Dasom. Everybody seemed to want her looks. The girls with thin eyebrows wore eyebrow wigs to get thicker eyebrows, also, they used lip masks to get fuller lips and even got plastic surgeries.

    “I can’t believe that everybody wants to be me” Daehyun felt weird “Although in reality everybody wants to be Dasom. I guess she’s really pretty”

    “She’s you, so actually you’re the pretty one” Jongup said.

    “No, I’m not, compare to other guys I’m really basic” Daehyun looked at himself, he wore a hoodie and jeans “I should have dressed better, after all, I’m going to meet Song Jieun, one of the top fashion designers of Korea”

    “I have something that’ll cheer you up” Jongup took a book out his backpack “I thought stopping by your place after work to give you this, but you’re here…”

    “Oh my gosh, this is the photobook of Jeeyoung Lee?” Daehyun exclaimed eagerly as Jongup handed him the book.

    “They were on sale at the exhibition, I got you one since you couldn’t go”

    “Thank you so much, I'll cherish this forever” Daehyun held the book close to his heart “Though in the end I got to go” Daehyun smiled blissfully “I went last night and saw her work in person”

    “How?”

    “Youngjae paid off the gallery's director”

    “Why?”

    “I guess it was his way to thank me for spending the night watching him puke”

    “I didn't know he's the grateful type” Jongup said, jealous. He felt small for buying a book while Youngjae bought up the gallery.

    “Deep down he's a caring person” Daehyun said “Although he doesn't care about photography, I would have liked to go with you to the exhibition, we would have had a lot of fun”

    “Well, there's always more exhibitions” Jongup said, hopeful.

    “I'll be looking forward to” Daehyun giggled and punched him on the arm playfully “You owe me a date after all”

    In reply, Jongup punched him back and laughed.

    Suddenly Daehyun’s phone rang, it was a text from Youngjae to Dasom, asking her to go to his office.

    “I have to go” Daehyun checked the hour on his phone; he was late for the meeting.

    “My shift ends at four” Jongup said “How about having dinner later here?”

    “Like I said, I'll be looking forward” Daehyun gave him a big smile and left.

Daehyun fixed the wig before entering Youngjae's office. The chief editor was at his desk and a fine-looking woman was sitting next to him. They dressed seamlessly, Youngjae was in a flawless suit as usual and his partner wore a long white dress, red jacket and black heels. I should have dressed better, Daehyun put the hood up, trying to cover his face, he wanted to sink through the ground.

    “She is the best model that you got?” the woman said, not vastly impressed by the underdressed woman.

    “Sorry I’m late!!!” Someone ran into the room, breathless, it was Zelo “Dasom-ah!!! I haven’t seen you in a while!!!” The tall model forgot the others as he saw Dasom and hugged her with all his might “Are we going to work together again?!!! That’s exciting!!!”

    “I don’t know” Dasom said, startled by hyper Zelo.

    Like Youngjae and the woman, Zelo dressed faultlessly, too. He wore pink shorts, showing off his long and striking legs, and short-sleeved shirt with a blue-yellow-white handkerchief around his neck.

    “You aren’t the only one that’s late” Youngjae said to Zelo and gave Dasom the stink eye.

    “Sorry” embarrassed, Zelo bowed to Youngjae and then his companion.

    “Sorry” Dasom did the same as Zelo and bowed to Youngjae and to the woman who studied her from head to toe.

    “Just sit” Youngjae said and the models sat side by side on the couch “Zelo, you already know Jieun, but Dasom, you don’t, so I’ll introduce her properly” Youngjae waved his hand right toward the red-haired woman “This lady is Song Jieun, top fashion designer of Korea, she got several awards and recognition and wants to unveil her latest collection in the magazine’s next issue, and you’ve been chosen to be the main models”

    “I’m having second thoughts” she cut Youngjae off “I’m ok with Zelo, but this… this woman…” Jieun suddenly looked disappointed as she stared at Dasom “I heard a lot about how extraordinary and magnificent Dasom is, but now that I see her, I just see a plain and dreadful thing that dresses like a poor college student or a beggar. She is more basic than past trends”

    This Song Jieun is Youngjae’s female version, Daehyun thought as he looked at Youngjae, hoping for him to stand up for Dasom, however, the younger just played with his phone while the designer trashed Dasom for several minutes.

    “I’m not even mad, I’m just upset for this joke” Jieun said “What’s wrong with people saying that Dasom is one of the most fabulous models of Korea? Hey, you!!!” Jieun yelled at Dasom, freaking her out “You’re a disgrace to every woman on earth and you, Yoo Youngjae” she pointed her sharp finger at him.

    Youngjae nearly had a heart attack as Jieun yelled at him.

    “You’re a disgrace to your predecessor, hiring such mess, if this magazine still had a little chance, you’ve killed it!!! Are your diplomas even real? Do you even know what you’re doing or are you a stupid rich boy playing around? Let me give you an advice, go cry to your daddy and mommy because you’re so done”

    “You’re a wasted space, you’re a joke, you’re pathetic, you little piece of…”

    “Shut the up” Dasom said and everybody looked at her in shock.

    It was ok if Youngjae wasn’t going to defend Dasom, but Dasom couldn’t not defending Youngjae. If Jieun didn’t shut her up, Dasom was going to make her.

    Youngjae didn’t mind so far, he was used to be bullied, Jieun wasn’t any different from his classmates. In time, he learned to remain silent and wait for the bully to get tired, he never expected anybody to save him, that’s why it was so shocking when Dasom yelled at Jieun, standing up for him.

    Dasom was defending him like Natalie defended Daehyun, now Youngjae understood why Daehyun was in love with Natalie.

    “Oh my God, Youngjae hyung, do something before they beat each other up!” Zelo said.

    “What? Uh?” Youngjae was clueless, he didn’t know what to do, for the first time he didn’t even know why the hell he took that job, but Zelo was right, he had to do something before Jieun and Dasom have a catfight.

    “I don’t want this little thing to be the main model of my work!!! Give me Sumin or any other!!!” Jieun barked violently.

    “That’s not possible, I mean, you want your collection on the next cover and Dasom is the face of the next cover” Youngjae said, trying to keep his together, but women were scary.

    “You can delay her appearance, you can get me a real model for the next cover and put this thing on the next next cover”

    “Why don’t you delay? You can show your collection on the next next cover” Dasom said or rather Daehyun said, he thought finishing Dasom after being on the cover, delaying wasn’t an option, he didn’t want to be Dasom for another month, it was hard to keep up with the lie.

    BE ON THE NEXT COVER, GET MONEY, RENT AN APT AND LEAVE FOR GOOD it was Daehyun’s plan and he wasn’t going to let Jieun to get in his way.

    Zelo waited for Youngjae to say something, but the elder shrunk in his seat, so the maknae decided to come forward.

    “Jieun noona, I've worked with Dasom and I can tell you that she's very beautiful and gorgeous, and definitely not basic, she’s brighter than the lighting and the cameras love her” Zelo said “Hyoseong noona doesn’t even use Photoshop with her, that’s how perfect Dasom noona is. So please, just give her a chance. You won’t regret”

    “If you say so” Jieun hissed “I've worked with you before, so if you trust this little thing, I'll go with it” she looked at Dasom with despite and then did the same with Youngjae “Wait for my assistant to call” without another word, Jieun headed to the door and left.

    “That was crazy” Youngjae sighed in relief once the fashion designer vanished out of his sight.

    “Jieun noona is actually a very nice and outgoing person, she’s only stressed. It’s her first collection after many years” Zelo said and got up from the couch “If nothing else, I’m out of here, I have a photo shoot” he bowed to Youngjae and leant on Dasom, brushing his lips against her ear.

    “No need to thank me for speaking on your behalf to Jieun noona” Zelo whispered in her ear “You just owe me a date”

    Dasom startled and blushed, Zelo giggled playfully and gave a peck on her cheek before pulling away and winking at her.

    “What was that?” Youngjae said loudly after the young model left “He was too touchy”

    “He didn’t touch me” Dasom said.

    “Not with his hands, but he did touch you with his lips, I saw how he rubbed his lips against your ear and then your cheek”

    “He was bidding goodbye” Dasom said, touching her cheek, still warm because of Zelo’s silky-smooth lips.

    “If I had not been here that ert had kissed you on the lips”

    “Stop calling my friends ert” Dasom said “First Jongup and now Zelo? The only ert is you for thinking who knows what dirty things” Dasom got up and reached for the door.

    “Wait!!!” Youngjae jumped out of his seat and ran after her “I haven't eaten since breakfast” Youngjae said “There's a Chinese restaurant I want to try”

    “And you're telling me because...”

    “Go with me, I saw you drinking only a milkshake at the cafeteria, you must be starving”

    “Are you asking me out?”

    “What?” Youngjae opened wide his eyes. Dasom caught him off guard.

    “I made plans with Jongup already”

    “Then go, you don't want to be late” Youngjae said “I just wanted to spend time with you after not seeing you for days, but go with your boyfriend!!!”

    Why is he raising his voice? Is he bananas? Anyone who listens will think he’s jealous, Dasom thought and walked out of the office.

On the way to the cafeteria, Daehyun got a text from Youngjae to Daehyun, not Dasom. Curious, the black-haired man read the message. I haven't eaten since breakfast. There’s a Chinese restaurant I want to try. Go with me.

    These are the exact words that he used with Dasom minutes ago. I bet he's asking me out because Dasom turned him down and since I look like her he thinks that going out with me is like going out with her, that's sick.

    “I'm not her replacement, you , you can't call me everytime she says no to you” Daehyun decided to ignore the message.

    He was hurt at the idea of Youngjae wanting to go out with him only because he resembled the woman he liked.