DOUBLE UPDATED! Go back one chapter!

L.Joe was silent as the gang went to lunch together in a large rowdy group. No one brought up Jaekyung's hysterical incident over the weekend since it was obviously a taboo topic.

Jaekyung met L.Joe's eyes and smiled at him weakly, knowing that another person is let in on her secret. L.Joe gave another assuring grin back which made Jaekyung smile genuinely this time.

He watched as she moved back to the table to sit beside L, who had saved a space for her.

He noticed how the couple never touched unnecessarily; something which he had picked up in the past. But then after the new revelation, he noticed something else.

It wasn't that L didn't want to touch Jaekyung, it wasn't that he didn't want to touch her arm lightly as she sat down, bump their shoulders casually while eating, or wrap his arm around her waist.

L.Joe finally saw something he missed previously; that L was controlling himself all the time.

After the incident, Jaekyung though still strong in her own sense, was still vulnerable and fragile. L was hence exceptionally careful around her, which L.Joe wasn't sure he was able to control.

The amount of care and love L had for Jaekyung was unbeatable and L.Joe knew he could never fight that.

In fact, he now wasn't even sure if he wanted to fight that.

Did he even like Jaekyung enough? Did he like her past her pretty face? Chaekyung was right, he hadn't even talked to her before he confirmed that she was The One.

But that was assumption on his part and it seemed wrong now.

L.Joe was seriously considering dropping the entire deal and idea of chasing after Jaekyung because he didn't like her enough to want to continue doing it. But...

L.Joe side glanced at Chaekyung who was munching on her pasta beside him. She looked adorable as she ate hungrily, not at all hiding behind the facade which other girls tended to so.

If he abandoned the plan, it meant he wouldn't be "dating" Chaekyung anymore. Did he want to stop that?

L.Joe justified in his head that it was because he liked to see her stupid foolish reactions when he played pranks on her, it was reasonable wasn't it. She wasn't as bad as she seemed either and he wanted to continue as her faux boyfriend for a while longer.

However, he knew very well that the reason wasn't so simple as that. He just didn't want to think of it that quickly.

Chaekyung caught L.Joe staring at her and she frowned at him. "What?"

"Nothing," L.Joe shook his head, his voice exceptionally soft and tender. Chaekyung looked even more concerned at that.

L.Joe quickly changed his tone and flicked her forehead. "Just wondering how a girl can eat so much like a pig." He teased.

"Yah!" Chaekyung pouted, sticking her tongue out at him. He did the same and grinned as he continued his meal.

Yep. He decided. He wasn't going to end their deal any time soon even though he had no intention of going after Jaekyung now.

Except Chaekyung didn't have to know that.

"AISH I knew I'm too handsome to be true." L.Joe smirked. "Always making me do such things because I'm handsome."

Chaekyung rolled her eyes and elbowed L.Joe's waist. "Full of nonsense. Whoever said you're handsome again??"

L.Joe smirked at her and tugged on her hair. "I bet you thought it before."

"No I didn't." Chaekyung answered with one hundred percent honestly, which irked L.Joe quite a bit. Truth be told, she never thought he was handsome. She thought he was hot.

L.Joe huffed and tugged on her bag instead as they walked up the stairs towards the studio. "I'm tired princess. Drag me up."

"Ariel!!" Chaekyung groaned under his weight. "You're so heavy. Are you a guy? Walk by yourself!"

"Duh I'm a guy, can't you sense my manliness?" L.Joe posed suavely. Chaekyung snorted and shook her head, hiding a smile. L.Joe grinned inwardly and pumped his fists in his mind for making her laugh.

He didn't know what was happening to him honestly he was always such a poker face and was the cool icon. Now he was acting so pouty and cutesy that it disgusted him but he couldn't seem to stop.

L.Joe ran to catch up with Chaekyung and fell in step with her, clicking his tongue. "Anyway, aren't they going to pay us for our services? I expect to be paid." He muttered crossly.

The two of them were appointed the new models for the yearly new banner to be put at the front of the school. Jaekyung and L had been selected the previous year and this year it was Chaekyung and L.Joe.

Despite it seeming to almost be obvious that she was going to be chosen, Chaekyung was still genuinely surprised and in fact tried to push it to the second candidate. L.Joe immediately shut her up because he didn't want to model with someone else, and he didn't think anyone else was suitable.

L.Joe thought Chaekyung would quickly get into her role but she seemed extremely nervous even after the preparations and looking absolutely adorable in the little dress and a side fishtail braid. She checked herself a hundred and one times in the mirror till L.Joe thought he would go mad with her pacing around like a nervous twit.

"Will you please calm down?" L.Joe finally reached out to grab her wrist, shooting her a look. "Why are you so nervous anyway, just give a few smiles and do as they want you to and it'll be fine. It's just a school photoshoot."

Chaekyung pursed her lips and took a deep breath. "Yeah but..." she twisted her lips. "But I..."

She never got to finish what she wanted to say because then the school photographer called them over to start posing. L.Joe dragged Chaekyung along, feeling her resistance and reluctance. 

The photographer made them go to the library first and they eached picked up a book. Chaekyung took her place on a stool while L.Joe leaned against a shelf beside her. They were asked to look casual while smiling for the camera.

L.Joe made the pose easily since he had prior modelling experience despite his not very tall height because he had that cool swag of his managed to make every article of clothing looked like a must-have.

They continued with a few shots before the photographer couldn't take it anymore. "Chaekyung ah, can't you relax a little? You look so stiff and unnatural. I doubt students would want to try for our school if they see you looking so unhappy and stressed." she reasoned. "Smile more genuinely, think happy thoughts okay?"

Chaekyung nodded and let out a shaky breath while the photographer got ready again. L.Joe glanced at Chaekyung to see her trying to force a smile but it looked more like a grimace. She shook her shoulders for a few times to release the nerves but he could tell that did nothing to help. She still looked stiff as a stick.

The photographer tried taking a few more shots, each time looking more and more dissatisfied as his frown deepened everytime he looked at Chaekyung. L.Joe glanced at her in concern. He knew she could do better than that. Sometimes when they were talking and she was laughing without a care in the world, he thought she looked pretty and confident and the twinkle in her eyes made her especially charming.

He couldn't see any of that charm right now and he knew at once that she was thinking too much that all her charm was buried. 

The photographer looked increasingly annoyed at the less than perfect shots and finally lowered his camera once more. Before he could open his mouth to scream at Chaekyung, L.Joe was over at her side at an instant and pulled her to her feet. "Let's take a break shall we? Chaekyung and I will grab a drink at the vending machine, sorry about that."

Before the photographer could agree, L.Joe already dragged Chaekyung out of the library. Chaekyung stumbled after him, trying to catch up with his large steps. They stopped by a vending machine and L.Joe popped in a few coins, buying two cans of green tea. He opened one and made her drink it, pulling her down the bench and turning her such that her back faced him. 

"What are you doing? We have to get back to the shoot." Chaekyung moved to stand up but he pulled at her wrist once more to make her stay. "Just close your eyes and drink your green tea." he muttered. Chaekyung sighed softly and did as she was told.

Truth be told, she was really tired physically and mentally. She didn't manage to sleep well the previous night because she was too nervous about the photoshoot today, and she was stressed out about posing in front of the camera when she thought she was inferior and unworthy to be selected.

Her eyes jerked open in surprise when L.Joe suddenly began kneading her shoulders and she spun around to look at him in surprise. He flicked her forehead and gave her a look, using his hand to guide her head to look back at the front. "Relax. Close your eyes." he murmured.

Chaekyung slowly relaxed as L.Joe continued kneading and massaging her shoulders, her tensed muscles relaxing one by one as she let out an involuntary sigh of content. L.Joe's lips slowly curled up in a smile as he felt her relax under his nimble fingers. His massaging skills were jjang but he didn't just work those magic hands on anyone.

L.Joe stared at the back of her head for a few moments before he couldn't help but voice out his thoughts. "You're not at your best today, princess. The photographer wasn't being biased against you because it's true. You're not giving your best." he muttered. "You're too stressed out to model well."

Chaekyung sighed and pushed his hands off her shoulders before turning to look at him. "That's why, I shouldn't even be here." she bit her lip and swallowed. "It never should have been me that was chosen, I'm not worthy for this position." she blinked at him. "Do you think we can go back and convince them to change the model?"

L.Joe looked at her for a long moment before speaking. "And who do you suggest take your position then?" he asked in a quiet voice.

Chaekyung scrunched up her fingers. "Well, any of the other girls like Yoomi for example. There are lots of prettier girls out there and they should get another more representative face for the school." she looked down at her toes and mumbled something so soft that L.Joe nearly didn't catch it. "Somone like unnie."

"You think Jaekyung should be the poster girl instead of you even though she already was the poster girl last year?" L.Joe frowned, his expression unreadable. Chaekyung nodded and sulked. "That's the only reason why she isn't chosen again this time, the rightful person should be unnie!"

"What makes you think she's better than you?" L.Joe looked at her straight in the eye.

Chaekyung faltered, not expecting the question and not knowing how to answer. "Huh?"

"I said, what makes you think she's better than you, or you inferior to her?" L.Joe demanded. "Was there any international test that I didn't know about which rated her superior? Is she really better than you in every single thing?"

"I..." Chaekyung looked at him. "I...Well you told me as well the other time-"

"And I told you it wasn't true didn't I?" L.Joe shook her shoulders, anguished. Why couldn't she get it into her head? Jaekyung might be beautiful, humble and gracious but that didn't mean she was necessarily better. In fact everyone was special in their own way, there wasn't anything that made one person better than another.

"I told you that I didn't mean what I said because I truly didn't, not because I just wanted you to forgive me or anything." L.Joe stressed, sighing and raking his fingers through his hair. "You and her are different people. You shouldn't let her affect how you see yourself and your own confidence level. You shine in a different manner, Lee Chaekyung."

---

"Thank you for the good work today guys. Have a good rest and I'll let you see the preview of the poster in a week's time!" The photographer concluded the shoot in a short thirty minutes later.

He winked at L.Joe and gestured for the latter to come nearer. "You're amazing huh. Bringing your little girlfriend out for five minutes and she returned as a new person, almost like a professional model. Good going you. Used lots of flattery eh?"

L.Joe just shrugged, his eye kept on Chaekyung who thanked the assistants. She turned to look at him with a small smile and gestured to notify him that she was going to the restroom to change her clothes. He gave a curt nod in reply.

"No flattery." L.Joe shook his head. "Just the truth."

He sighed softly.

While everyone might have thought Jaekyung was the one with the most hurt and the one most in need of protection, it might not be the case.

Because from what he saw, Chaekyung was hurt as well. Her hurt might not be physical like Jaekyung's but that didn't mean it was any less significant.

Most importantly, Chaekyung lost faith in herself. That was what made her fall deeper and deeper into misery unlike Jaekyung who had the love and support of L.

Despite what everybody thinks, the one whom needs protecting is Chaekyung.

And he was going to do just that.