America’s Next Top Magical Model Part 1

The Great Ones

Woozi stared at the man standing in front of him, who was leaned over the half-wall across from his desk.

Woozi waved his hands in front of the guy, but there was no reaction. He gestured his hands at the guy again, but still no reaction. 

“This is hopeless!” Woozi exclaimed. He sighed then blinked.

The man suddenly unfroze and continued on speaking, like nothing had happened.

Across the city, Ryujin signed out of work, thanking every god imaginable for making today an easy shift for her. 

“Are you sure you don’t want to work tomorrow night?” A flamboyant guy asked.

”I’m sure, Kibum.”

Kibum nodded and walked away. Ryujin gathered her things and walked out to her car.

Her relief that was supposed to be already signed in and working pulled into the driveway. Ryujin waited for her to exit her car.

”So sorry, Ryujin. My daughter has been preparing for this stupid charity modeling gig thing, keeps me from getting here on time.”

”It’s alright. The demon child was easy today, only one takedown.”

The woman looked somewhat surprised, “Maybe it’s gonna be a good day.”

”Maybe,” Ryujin opened her car door and stepped in. “See you in two days, Raebyul.”

Raebyul waved her off and walked inside to work. Ryujin drove home, passing over five billboards for the charity model gig Raebyul was talking about.

Ryujin unlocked the front door and walked inside, finding Yoongi cooking spaghetti.

“So weird to see you home at 3.” Yoongi said as he lowered the heat on the stovetop.

”Yeah, a coworker needed to switch shifts and I said I’d do it.” Ryujin looked around, “Did Woozi leave already?”

Yoongi turned his head, “He went in like three hours ago. He wanted to make up for lost time.”

”He was just released yesterday, didn’t the doctor tell him to relax for at least two more days.” Yoongi eyed her, Ryujin rolled her eyes and shook her head in response. She noticed a piece of laminated paper on the table, it was for the charity modeling gig. “I’ve seen this everywhere.” 

“The modeling thing, yeah, I think I’m gonna go see it when it comes out.” Yoongi replied, turning off the stovetop. 

“My coworker’s daughter is modeling in it.”

”She cute?”

“She underage.”

Yoongi sighed and drained his noodles in the sink, then dumped the noodles on a plate and poured meat sauce on top. Ryujin grimaced. 

“I don’t understand why you like the sauce to be cold. That’s like a new thing for you, and it’s gross.” Ryujin said, looking back at the flier. 

Yoongi set the plate down, “Actually I do it to practice my power, watch.” Ryujin joined him at the table and sat across from him, then pushed her seat back just in case. 

Yoongi took a deep breath then took out his lighter and lit it. He eyes the flame and urged it to float over his spaghetti. The flame flickered then did as Yoongi commanded. Yoongi took his hands and placed them over the fire, like he was warming his hands, then slowly moved his hands apart. The flame started to increase in size, mostly by width. He squinted his eyes and focused on increasing the heat of the small flame, he could feel the heat increase through his palms. Suddenly, the sauce over the spaghetti started to steam, the steam billowing up to the ceiling. Before the steak started to bubble, Yoongi retracted his hands and the flame immediately evaporated into nothing. Yoongi took his fork and twirled a decent amount of spaghetti onto it then put it in his mouth. A smirk formed on his face, and he gave Ryujin a thumbs up. 

“Impressive.” Ryujin said before standing up.

You wish you could do that.

Ryujin eyed him, “I don’t, I enjoy invading peoples minds more than controlling fire. More my style, wannabe caveman.” 

Yoongi flipped her off and continued eating. Ryujin walked away.

Ryujin fell onto the couch with an “umph” then the TV. A minute into watching, a commercial for the model gig appeared. Ryujin watched it, seeing a female talking over stock footage of models walking a runway. The femalen suddenly appeared on the screen, around the age of fifty, but looking younger for her age. Her teeth were straight and shiny, her body that of a healthy twenty year-old, and her skin clear of any wrinkles. Ryujin was slightly jealous.

Ryujin changed the channel and started watching a documentary. Hours later, Woozi got home. He waved hello to a tired Ryujin, then went to his room. 

Yoongi appeared in his doorway a minute later. Woozi acknowledged his presence with a smile, then fell onto his bed. 

“Guess what.” Yoongi said, sitting on Woozi’s bed.

Woozi sighed, “what?”

”I can heat things with my power now.”

”Oh cool,” Woozi said. 

“How’s your training coming?”

”It hasn’t even left the station yet. I’ve tried everything.”

”Everything?”

Woozi sat up, “I’ve tried unfreeze on command and I can’t. I’ve tried keeping the freeze up if I look away, never works, and to top it all off, my eyes are so irritated from trying not to blink during a freeze.”

”Do you practice a lot?”

”I practice all day long, Yoongi. Nothing is working.”

Yoongi rubbed Woozi’s leg to comfort him. Woozi groaned and fell back to the bed. 

“It took you like a week to learn how to freeze on command. You’ll get it. It’s only been like a couple days after the Ghoul situation, give it time.” 

Ryujin was about to turn off the TV and go to bed, but the same commercial for the modeling gig appeared again. Ryujin lost count how many times she’s seen this commercial. Ryujin shut off the TV and retired to her bedroom.

The next day, Ryujin was woken up by her phone ringing. She grabbed it and saw work calling, she answered.

”Hello, Ryujin. It’s-“

”I know who it is.”

The caller laughed and continued l, “Raebyul called off, any chance you can work for a couple hours this morning. Only until noon, Onew said he’d come in early to relieve you.”

Ryujin checked the time, it was almost ten. “Sure.” 

“Awesome, see you soon.” 

Ryujin hung up and got ready to go. She said hi and goodbye to Woozi and Yoongi, then went to her car.

She arrived at work and signed in. Jiyoung turned in her chair to greet the mind reader. 

“Thanks for coming in. Thankfully, the demon isn’t awake yet.”

”It’s cool. Any idea why Raebyul called off?”

Jiyoung suddenly looked uneasy, shifting in her seat a little. “Apparently,” Jiyoung rubbed her arms. 

“What?”

”Her daughter was found dead last night.” Ryujin’s jaw dropped. “She went to pick up,” Jiyoung choked up on her words but continued, “her daughter at the modeling charity thing.”

”I thought it wasn’t for another two weeks.”

”They were doing fittings for the dresses, for those who applied. That’s what Raebyul told me, behind all the tears.”

”Jiyoung, you don’t need to tell me more.”

”Girl, her body was all shriveled up. Like it was of all life and stuff.” Ryujin looked away, wiping a tear away. “Raebyul said Hana would take the next couple weeks of her shifts, so we got all of her shifts covered.”

”I thought Hana was only a supply.”

”Supply can take shifts if other staff offer them.” Jiyoung explained. Ryujin nodded.

”From what Raebyul told me, it looked bizarre. There was no weapons or fingerprints, just the body.”

The word ‘bizarre’ caught Ryujin’s attention. Ryujin rose and took out her phone, “I need to let my roommates know I’m okay.”

Jiyoung nodded and returned to her work. Ryujin exited the home and called up Woozi. 

“Hello?” Woozi answered, his voice hoarse.

”You sounds like crap.” Ryujin replied, slightly smiling.

”I know. Yoongi’s been scaring the crap out of me.”

”I don’t want to know.” Ryujin cleared , “I have some news.” 

“What kind of news? Human or magical?”

”Guess.”

”Are you okay?” 

“Yeah, but listen to this. You know how left, I’m at work, because of my coworker.” 

“Okay.”

”Her daughter was found dead.”

”No way. How’s your coworker?”

”She lost her kid, Woozi. How do you think she’s feeling?”

”I know, Ryujin. Just seemed right to ask.”

”Anyway, finding a dead body wasn’t the weird part. It was how they found her.”

”How did they find her?”

”Shriveled up. Drained, from what my boss told me.”

”Okay that’s weird.” Woozi was silent then spoke, “Do you think it’s magical?”

”First thing that came to mind.”

”What are we going to do?”

”Do you work today?”

”Yeah, but not until three.”

”Is Yoongi with you?”

”No, he left for campus right after you left.”

”I know it’s risky, but I think we should check out the charity place. We could go after I get out of here.”

Woozi was silent again.

”Woozi?”

”Sorry, I’m trying to text Seongchul while I’m talking to you.”

”Focus, Woozi. This is serious.”

”I know. How about I go check out the scene now, and then you just meet me there when you’re done.”

”What if there’s a ghoul or something else?”

”I’ll freeze and run.” 

“Are you sure? I’m only here until noon.” 

“I’m sure. I’ll scope out the scene, I won’t get too deep into it.”

”Okay. Be careful.”

”I will.” 

“See you later,” Ryujin hung up and went back inside to work.

Woozi gathered his things. He texted Ryujin to let her know he will let Yoongi know, which Ryujin texted back with a thumbs up emoji.

 

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Comments

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lauriieomma
#1
Chapter 31: Hi, I'm ever so slightly obsessed with this fic. Thanks
dan8dan8
#2
Chapter 53: I just want Yoongi and Ryujin to get together.
sottana1 #3
Omg I love it!
St-renaissance
#4
Finally getting into it haha
St-renaissance
#5
Been planning on reading this for a while now
kimminah89
#6
Chapter 25: Ok what is wrong with Woozi. Like he is getting it with Seugcheol why can't the other 2 too? Like i love uou Zi but you kinda tick me off here
agentllama08
#7
Chapter 6: I like this story
4u0nly
#8
Chapter 1: This is getting more interesting author-nim :) Ryuddaeng and Jihoonie are both my bias and Yoongi is my bias wrecker so this is definitely coooool :D