I thought 30 minutes would be enough to apply make-up on my face and to fix my hair, but I’m sitting on this chair for more than an hour! I’m so bored looking at my own face on the mirror and watching busy people around me. I felt sleepy but I need to stay awake because the make-up will be ruined. Kai looks so relax beside me because his eyes are closed while the ladies are enjoying applying make-up on his face.

                I pouted and waited for this process to finish.

                ………………………………………………………..

                POWDER….

                BLOWER….

                EYELINER….

                LIPSTICK….

                HAIR CLIPS….

                CURLER….

                MASCARA….

                EYESHADOW….

                BLUSH-ON….

                HAIR SPRAY….

                After one and a half hour, I saw a very beautiful lady in front of me and I can’t believe that that lady is me!

                I TOTALLY TRANSFORMED INTO A PRINCESS!

                My hair, skin tone, face and my whole appearance is really gorgeous and amazing! I fell in love with myself!

                I walked near to the mirror and touched my cheeks.

                “Wow,” I whispered as I observe my pretty face and new hairdo.

                “Lee Eun Min,” I heard someone called my name and I saw it was Kwang, the photographer. “Prepare yourself, we will begin to you first,” he told me and I nodded.

                I looked back at the mirror and spotted Kai looking at me with mouth opened. I looked at him and he shut his eyes. What’s wrong with him?

                I pouted and observed his face. There’s only few improvement on him and he’s still not that appealing to me.

                “Lee Eun Min, come here!” Kwang called my attention.

                I stood up and walked in front him.

                “You just need to be confident in front of the camera. Never show awkward reaction because I hate that,” he told me while he’s testing the camera. “Just smile, project properly and relax. I’ll tell you what to do before I hit the button, okay?”

                “Okay,” I nodded.

                “Let’s begin with the wall,” Kwang said and the staff prepared the lights and focused it on me when I was already on the right position.

                I started to feel nervous because this is my first time to encounter a pictorial. I hope I can do this well and successfully because if I didn’t, Kai would die laughing at me and of course, I would put again in embarrassment.

                “At the count of three, I want you to pose like a cute girl smiling in front of the camera,” Kwang told me. “Are you ready?”

                I thought for a while about the pose that I will show until he started counting. I just smiled slightly and bend sideward for a bit.

                “One…two…three!”

                “Good! Nice! Bravo!” Kwang clapped his hands for me and I was flattered because it’s just the first picture and he looks so contented about it.

                He continued taking so many pictures of me and I just smiled naturally in front of the camera. I flipped my hair for many times because Kwang found it cute and nice. The make-up artists kept on fixing my hair and retouching my after every five shots that’s why I felt tired. But as a whole, I enjoyed this moment even if I’m a first timer because as I expected, the result of my solo shots are perfect and good. I look like one of the models I can see at the malls, bill boards and net. Sorry if it sounds boastful but I can say that I’m really beautiful today and I feel prettier than the 9 members of Girls’ Generation.

                The lights, camera and attention of everyone are now on Kai and I know it would be boring and waste of time for me if I watched him posing in front of the camera with his face that has no charisma. So I sat on an empty chair again and drank a bottle of water.

                A lady approached me and gave me a box of tissue and a towel because she saw me sweating already. I thanked her and she walked away.

                After ten minutes of waiting, Kwang called me again to start my pictorial with Kai.

                I stood up and saw Kai wiping off the sweat from his forehead and the ladies continued retouching his face.

                “Eun Min will sit on the couch and Kai on the stool,” Kwang pointed the couch and I sat there. Kai also sat on the stool and brushed away his bangs. “I want Kai to look at Eun Min dramatically, like you fell in love with her beautiful face.”

                “No way,” I complained and everyone looked at me.

                “I’m okay with that,” Kai spoke and I looked at him with round eyes. 

                How come he agreed with Kwang’s request?! I thought he would disagree too because he doesn’t like looking at my face.

                “Is there a problem, Eun Min?” Kwang asked me.

                “No Kwang. She’s just shy because she’s a beginner,” Kai answered and smiled at me.

                I jumped on my seat when he did that. This is the first time I saw him smiling at me. What is he thinking right now? Kai is going crazy. HE’S NOT THE REAL KAI I KNOW!

                “Then we should start now,” Kwang prepared his camera and the lights focused on us.

                Kai stared at me seriously and my heart beat faster. The feeling was different and I can’t explain it right now.

                “Eun Min, look at the camera and not on Kai,” Kwang called my attention and I was embarrassed because I made a funny mistake.

                Wake up Eun Min! Stop looking and thinking about Kai! Snap out of it!

                “One…two…three!”

                I looked at the camera and smiled sweetly.

                “WONDERFUL!” Kwang clapped his hands again. “Another shot! Another shot! I want you to look at each other while smiling romantically.”

                “No way,” I murmured and palmed my forehead. Oh no, it’s getting more awkward for me to look at him. My hands are sweating and I’m so nervous.

                “Eun Min, look at Kai now.”

                I shook my head and stood up. All the staff is looking at me again including Kai.

“Can I drink water first?” I asked in the middle of silence.

                “Oh sure. Please give her a glass of water,” Kwang ordered one of the ladies and I sat on a chair that is far from them and breathed deeply. My heart is still thumping fast. I don’t know why.

                “What’s wrong?”

                I looked at my back and saw Kai giving me a bottle of cold water.

                “What’s wrong with you?” I asked him back and took the water. “You’re acting different.”

                He walked in front of me, “I’m just doing my job as your partner. We should look like a real couple in front of the camera so that after the release of our tarpaulin, many students will vote for us and in the end, we will win the competition.”

                “So you really want to win this game so that I would be kick out from class 3-A?” I asked, irritated.

                He didn’t answer because Kwang called us. I stood up quickly and gave back the bottle of water to Kai without consuming it.

                The wrath I feel for Kai came back again and all I can think right now is finish this photo shoot and continue to stay away from him.

                I thought he’s getting friendly to me but in fact, he’s just pretending to be sweet and kind in front of others for the sake of the victory and my disappearance. It’s disappointing.