This story was actually inspired from a great fanfic 'Substandard Motels (Between Broadway and Carnegie Hall)' by a very brilliant author, Changdictator who wrote 'Anterograde Tomorrow' on livejournal.

p/s: please dont compare this humble story with hers, she way much better than i am. and this is not a plagiarism okay. read first then you'll know.

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                Click!

                “Great!"

                Click!

                “Nice shot! Give it more y Kris—that’s it!”

                Click!

                “Now look at the camera—awesome! That’s exactly what I want!”

                Click!

                Cameras and models. Two things that I guess can never be separated. I don’t even understand how did I ended up getting myself involved with all of this flashing, dazzling, glimmering world of models, studios, make-ups, cloths, cameras and lights. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not THE MODEL. I was just spending my summer break helping my cousin, Anna with her work (she was one of the make-up artist for some modelling agency). Mom said that I should go out and see how the real world looks like and not just lock myself in my room spazzing over some cute Korean boys for the whole vacation. So here I am, carrying make-up kits and a bunch of designer clothes that I don’t even know how to pronounce the brand.

                “Ok, that’s the last. We’re taking a half an hour break. Good job so far Kris.” I could see the plump photographer gave the tall model a pat on his shoulder and he smiled in return before disappeared into the changing room.

                “What are you staring at?” Anna nudged my elbow and I quickly turned my glance towards her on my right.

                “Nothing.” I smiled bluntly at her and continued arranging all the make-up tools back into the kit.

                “Do you know he was paid 10,000$ for this photo shoot?” Anna spoke as she passed me the concealers.

                “What?! You’ve got to be kidding me!”

                “Seriously, I’m not. That Kris guy is one of the hot stuff for this season. Just look at his tall figure, ideal body proportion and stunning looks, it’s perfect. Every magazines, every designers, every agencies want him. So if they want him to choose them, they’re gonna have to set the highest bid you know.”

                “I never know models are paid that much.”

                “Go and ask Heidi Klum how much Victoria Secret paid her.”

                I chuckled. Making money this days seem so easy sometime. Posing in front of the camera, letting the camera take a couple hundred of your photos then the next thing you knew, you got ten grand in your account.

                “How old is he anyway?” I asked.

                “Who? Kris? 22 if I’m not mistaken.”

                “22? Ouh, I thought he’s older than me.”

                “No honey, he’s 22 too. Can you go and wash these for me?” Anna handed me a few brushes and I took it from her hand. “Okay.”   

                I straight away headed to the toilets on the same floor of the studio and stopped halfway through when I saw the ‘Cleaning in Progress’ sign in front of the toilet door. I quickly took a turn to the right and climbed the stairs towards the 3^rd floor.

                The 3^rd floor was pretty deserted actually since it is the floor for storage rooms. I didn’t really like being up here since it was pretty scary considering the fact that I’m alone and there were like hundreds of creepy looking display dolls in every room. So I marched quickly to the toilet, the tap and washed the brushes as fast as I could.

                But then suddenly I heard a pretty strange noise coming from the outside. I turned off the tap to get a clearer sound of it. It sounds like someone is……..vomiting? And it came from the men’s toilet on the opposite. I took a deep breath and approached the men’s toilet slowly. Is there someone is here? I thought.

                I pushed the door slowly and peek my head into the toilet. What did I saw after that after that was something I had never expected.

                It was the tall model.

                And he was poking his throat with his index finger from his mouth.

                “What are you doing?”

                I could see he scoffed before he turned to me and said, “Get out.”

                I immediately frowned and continued. “Are you trying to make yourself puke?”

                “It’s none of your business. Can’t you see the men’s symbol on the door?” he then took his fingers back into his mouth and continued poking it.

                “Stop!”

                He glared at me and sighed. “You’re such a busy body.” He the tap afterwards, washed his hands and his mouth and walked out of the toilet passing me like nothing happen.

                I followed him since both of were currently heading towards the same direction anyway. I wanted to say something but looking at how he remained silence along the way I decided to do the same. When we arrived just in front of the door of the studio, he suddenly turned around and spoke,

                 “Don’t ever tell anyone about what you saw just now.” He tried to sound threatening but I didn’t think it works on me.

                “Are you a bulimic?” the tall model’s eyes looked like it’ll pop out of its sockets.

                “It’s none of your business so stop asking me questions! Damn it!” he sighed heavily and walked into the studio leaving me all alone.

************

                The same thing happened again the next day. I was washing the brushes when I caught him vomiting himself again on the 3^rd floor toilet. This time he wasn’t surprise seeing me and so am I.

                “You should stop you know.” I asked as I laid my back against the wall and watched him cleaning up the mess he made inside the sink.

                “It’s not your problem so just shut up.” He replied, without even glancing at me.

                “When was the last time did you take a proper meal?”

                The tall model didn’t answer my question.

                “You’ll be sick if you continue doing that. I’m just reminding you that it’s dangerous. I suggest you go and get some professional help. I’m pretty su—”

                “Just get the hell out of here!” he stomped his fist on the sink, making me stunned.

                I sighed and reached for my pocket. I took out a bar of Snickers and put it on the sink.

                “I was just trying to help, Kris.” I spoke and left.

***********

                The same thing continued to happen again afterwards. Every day I make sure that I’ll go to the 3^rd floor toilet and put a bottle of water and a bar of Snickers on the sink as usual. Sometime I’ll bump into him, sometime I don’t. When we accidently exchange glances in the studio, Kris will always be the first one that darted his eyes away from me. There also a few times where I purposely bought lunch for every one so that Kris has no reason not to eat. Even Anna was surprised with my sudden generosity. But still, every time after he ate, he’ll go to the 3^rd floor toilet and throw up. And I will always be there waiting for him with a bottle of water and a bar of Snickers on my hands.

                It was the fifth day. And I was still standing beside the sink waiting for Kris finishing his stupid business.

                “You didn’t chase me out today.” I handed him the bottle and he took it.

                “It’s not even worth telling a peacock to get out when she’s not even listening.” He spoke before sipping the water.

                “So I’m a peacock huh?” I handed him the chocolate bar but he pushed it away. “Eat, stupid.”

                “No. That thing had more than the calories than I needed for a day. So stop buying it for me because I’m not even going to eat it.”

                “I still think that you should stop doing all of this.”

                “No.”

                “You’re going to die if you keep doing this. And I’m not going to be responsible for that.”

                “I didn’t ask you to.”

                “I just don’t get it. Why are you doing it? I mean, your body looks perfect. So why you still make yourself suffer through all of this?”

                “You don’t understand.”

                “Then make me Kris.”

                Kris sighed heavily and stared at me. “There is always a price for perfection. There’s like hundreds probably thousands of models out there competing with each other to be on the place where I am right now. So I have to be perfect, all the time. Yes, I can go to the gym every week, eat healthy foods, take vitamins and so on but all of that take time. But I don’t have time. Because every day the clocks ticking and there’s always other people out there who will threaten my place and I just can’t stand it. So I choose the shorter path. By throwing up every time I take a meal, I can maintain my ideal weight without any obstacle. But then later I found out that if I didn’t eat and just take a few vitamin pills, I can easily control my weight even more.”

                No matter how convincing Kris sounded, I still could not agree with what he said. Yes, perfection is not something we can easily get. But that doesn’t mean that we have to pay it with the highest price. There’s always another way, the safer, the better and the healthier way.

                “But are you aware of the circumstances?” I asked.

                “I do.” He murmured. “By the time the effects appear, I’ll probably have retired from all of this.”

                “If you are lucky enough. What if you don’t?”

                Kris chuckled and smiled at me. “I won’t.”

*************

                It was the sixth day of the photo shoot. I came a little late today since my friends came to visit me at home. It was almost 2.00 pm when I arrived at the studio. Everyone was busy setting up the new sets, putting on the lights, editing the pictures and etcetera. I saw Anna standing beside the dressing table and was about to say ‘hi’ to her before suddenly the plump photographer accidently bumped to my left.

                “Is Kris here already? How are we going to start the photo shoot if the model is still missing?” the plump photographer shouted across the studio.

`               Kris is missing? I thought. I walked towards Anna and waved my hand to her. “What happened?”

                “Kris’s gone. He went out like half an hour ago but he hasn’t come back yet. The photo shoot was about to start. Nobody knows where he went.” Anna replied.

                I didn’t know why but suddenly I felt a sudden uneasiness. Did something happen to him? I could feel my heart beat starting to rise. I excused myself and went straight towards the 3^rd floor toilet.

                When I arrived there, I didn’t hear any sound. So I opened the door slowly but surprisingly there was no one in there.

                “Kris!” I called out his name, but there was no response. Maybe he’s not here.

                I was just about to exit the toilet when suddenly I heard a voice. More like groaning actually. I quickly turned around and approached the cubicles.

                The first cubicle,

                Nothing.

                The second cubicle,

                Nothing.

                The third cubicle,

                “KRIS!”

                There he was, the tall model. Lying on the floor beside the porcelain toilet bowl with a pale face and white hands. He looked lifeless and deceased, exactly like a living corpse.

                “Kris! Oh my God! Wake up! Wake up!”

                 I grabbed his shoulders and tried to shake him off. But he wasn’t moving. I took my fingers to his pulse and it was still beating. Thank God. I quickly went to sink and the tap. I sprinkled the water on his face and rubbed it gently with my palm.

                “Damn it Kris! Wake up!”

                Kris slowly opened his eyes and groaned. I was relieved that I found him before it was too late. I helped him to get up and sit properly with his back against the wall. When I looked at his face, he was staring blankly at me.

                “Are you crazy?! Do you really want to die?! I’ve told to stop didn’t I?! Now look what happened!”

                Kris didn’t say anything.

                “What if I was late and nobody found you?! Do you ever think of it?! No! Why?! Because you’re so obsessed chasing after your stupid perfection! Nobody is perfect in this world Kris!”

                I pulled out a bar of Snickers from my pocket and opened the wrapper for him. He pushes it away as I handed the bar to him.

                “Are you going to eat this by yourself or I’ll shove it into your mouth without mercy?”

                I could see he let out a big sigh before he finally grabbed the bar and give it a small bite.

                “Why do you care so much about me?” The tall model suddenly spoke, almost whispering.

                I tried to calm myself up and looked at him. I let my body rested against the wall and took a deep breath. “I had a friend before. She was my best friend. She was a bulimic too, like you. And she died because of it. Two years ago. But I wasn’t there when she died. I didn’t help her because I didn’t even know. So I don’t want the same thing happen twice Kris. I don’t want anyone else that I know suffer like her. It was painful not only to yourself, but to everyone else around you too. So do yourself a favour and stay alive. Stop doing all of this nonsense Kris. It’s not even worth it. You don’t have to be perfect because you already are.”

                Kris suddenly pulled a smile and looked at me. “Do you like me?”

                “Wha—”

                I don’t even have a chance to react when he abruptly pulled my body onto him and crashed his lips onto mine.

                “Because I do.” He muttered under the kiss.

                “Kris—”

                “Shh.” He wrapped his long arms around my waist and buried his face on the crook of my neck. “Take me home. I’m tired.”

                I pulled a smile and caressed his back gently. “Of course—”

                 —I like you too Kris. Ever since the first time I saw you walking into the studio six days ago.

*********

                    “Is it only me that realize it or Kris’s face really does look like it was glowing today?” Anna spoke as she folded the cloths into the bag.

                “I noticed it too.” I chuckled as my sight turning towards Kris’s CK bag on the couch. There were a bottle of PULPY Minute Maid orange juice and a half eaten bar of Snickers inside it. “He looks healthier isn’t it?”

                “Healthier? Is he not before this?” Anna asked.

                “Maybe.” I gave Anna a smile before I picked up the folded cloths and brought it onto the dressing table. I didn’t notice that Kris just finished with his photo shoot and was currently heading towards my direction.

                “No Snickers for me today?”

                “Gosh Kris! You scared me!” I slapped his arm with the make-up pouch I was holding.

                “Sorry.”

                “So, did you take a proper meal today?”

                “Yes sir! A ham sandwich, an apple and a glass of orange juice for breakfast, a bowl of chicken salad, fruit salad, and a glass of cucumber and raisins juice for lunch, no dinner, and a glass of warm milk before I go to bed.”

                “Seriously Kris, milk before bed? I thought only babies drink milk before they go to bed.” I giggled.

                “For your information miss, milk is good for bones and teeth. So it’s not only for babies okay?”

                “Fine.”

                “Do you know that you still owe me something?” Kris suddenly whispered to my left ear.

                “What?” I turned my face facing his tall structure.

                “You didn’t answer my question yesterday.”

                “Last night didn’t explain everything?” I poked his chest playfully and he immediately blushed.

                “I need a valid answer.”

                “Silly.” I pulled his collar and kissed him. “Of course I like you too.”

                Kris smirked and kissed me back.

                From a few feet away I could see Anna almost dropped the 500$ Jimmy Choo pumps from her hand.

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you guys dont have any idea how much did i enjoy writing this one. huhuhu. lol. ignore me. hope you enjoy it too! i still havent got any plan for the next chapter, so why dont you request something? it doesnt matter which member, (aside from chen, kai n kris of course). i'll try my best to write it for you. =)