CHAPTER SIX

Kris doesn’t make it back to Seoul in time. 

At the crack of dawn that morning, Kyungsoo receives an urgent call from Beijing where Kris instructs him to take his place at the shoot this afternoon and play host to the team that would be coming down to the studio to work on CL’s pictorial. 

“You don’t have do anything, really,” Kris reassures over the phone. “The team is very competent and they more of less run on autopilot. All you really need to do is just be around to make sure that everything runs smoothly, it’s easy.” 

“After all,” he adds for safe measure. “I mentored you myself, I’m sure this one task will be no problem for my talented apprentice?” 

Kyungsoo, quite literally, cannot say no. 

And so, he finds himself in a very precarious situation once again (i.e. being in the same room as Kim Jongin).

When Jongin had walked into the studio earlier on, Kyungsoo had to fight to keep himself from staring at him. He looked positively devastating today, donning a black leather jacket paired with black ripped skinny jeans and his blond hair was styled away from his face. He was embarrassed to admit this, but he could feel his heart rate spike just by looking at him. God, Jongin had only gotten more beautiful over the years. Even without being clouded by an alcohol-induced haze, Kyungsoo still found him to be unbearably handsome. 

But beyond the physical attraction, Kyungsoo also couldn’t ignore the fact that Jongin exuded immense charisma when he was at work. Behind the camera, Jongin transformed into ‘Kai', and he was equally captivating. Watching him work was an experience in itself because Kai was so obviously brilliant at his craft. It was breathtaking to see him in action; he had a vision and he knew just what needed to be done to translate that vision onto his photographs. From the monitor, he could see the concept coming to life in each photo being taken and they were all nothing short of gorgeous. 

Seeing Jongin in this capacity was making him feel things too many things at once. For that reason, Kyungsoo was more than relieved when the team finally called for a break. He made a beeline to the pantry with every intention to brew himself a cup of tea, in hopes that a hot beverage might at least help to clear his head. 

“I’ve been meaning to get a hold on you.” 

Kyungsoo almost scalds himself as he whips around in surprise. He is greeted with the sight of a tall, lanky man casually leaning against the counter, sipping a glass of iced water. It takes a few seconds to process his heavily made-up face and immaculately styled hair, but Kyungsoo belatedly identifies him to be the model of the shoot. 

He gulps. “Is there something you need?” 

"Nope.” The model replies, popping the ‘p’ as he says the word, an air of nonchalance rolling off of him in waves.

Kyungsoo’s eyebrows furrow at how he continues to unabashedly stare at him. “I’m sorry, but I don’t think I know you—”

“I am Oh Sehun.” He interrupts, taking a step closer to him as he sets his glass down. “You are Do Kyungsoo. We are now acquainted with one another.”

“Uhm…” Sehun’s lips quirk upwards infinitesimally at Kyungsoo’s palpable nervousness. “…it's nice to meet you?”

“Charmed.” His expression quickly slips back into one of complete impassivity. He doesn’t say anything else but continues to move closer to Kyungsoo and the latter soon finds himself being cornered, with nowhere else to retreat to. 

At this point, Sehun is leaning in impossibly close to Kyungsoo’s face, studying him with such intensity that Kyungsoo was beginning to feel very much like a specimen under a microscope. To say that Sehun’s peculiar behaviour was making him nervous would be an understatement.

Sehun’s gaze trailed down his face, from his eyes to his nose, eventually settling on his lips and lingering there. Kyungsoo begins to flush from the scrutiny but just as he’s about to push Sehun away to put some (much needed) space between them, he finally speaks—

“I guess it makes sense why he’s so obsessed with you.” Sehun declares, straightening up, completely ignoring the way Kyungsoo’s eyes widen in shock. “You’re pretty,” he adds with a shrug. 

“I’m sorry, what?”

“Your lips are no joke, I can understand why he couldn’t hold back that night.” He chuckles and Kyungsoo simply gawks. “Good grief, even I want to kiss you.” 

“If you do that, I’ll end your life.”

Kyungsoo looks in up in the direction that the voice is coming from and his heart stops.

Jongin stands at the doorway, leaning against its frame with his arms crossed over his chest. He wears a grin, but it’s so trite that it threatens to split his face in half from the force of his smile. 

Sehun turns around and lets out a dramatic sigh at the sight of his best friend. “Here he comes to ruin my fun.” 

Jongin shoots him a deadly look, and Sehun gets the hint. 

“Alright, I won’t mess with your baby anymore~” He sings as he struts out of the pantry, patting Jongin’s bottom twice for good measure before finally taking his leave. “Adieu.”

Once Sehun is completely out of the room, Jongin turns all his attention to Kyungsoo and the slow smile that spreads on his face this time is one of genuine happiness. 

Kyungsoo hadn’t moved an inch from where Sehun had left him. He appeared to be anxious from the way he was wringing his hands together and how his eyes seemed to be looking at everything else in the room except Jongin. His smile grew even wider at the realisation that he was the one that was making Kyungsoo nervous. Jongin’s belly warmed with pride at the thought that he could actually induce that kind of effect on Kyungsoo. 

“I’m sorry,” he begins softly, slowly approaching Kyungsoo as if he were a startled animal. “He can be quite a riot, I hope he didn’t say anything strange to you? Well, nothing too strange at least…” 

“N-n-no.” Jongin has closed the distance between them. Kyungsoo can smell the cologne off of him and it’s warm and musky and so, so y that he feels (embarrassingly) light-headed. “No, he didn’t.” He clears his throat, trying to collect himself. 

“That’s a relief, that kid tends to run his mouth.” He says with a chuckle, enjoying the view of Kyungsoo up close and finding himself unable to tear his gaze away from those beautiful, expressive eyes that had enthralled him right from the start.

“You both seem pretty close.” The words tumble out of his mouth before he even processes them and Kyungsoo immediately diverts his gaze down to his feet, shamefaced. 

Jongin grins widely. “Why, jealous already?”

"No!” Kyungsoo immediately denies (far too loudly), his ears reddening in embarrassment.

“That’s a shame though, I’d like it if you were.” Kyungsoo peeks up at him through his lashes. “I’d want you to want me.”

Again, Kyungsoo is at a loss for words. How was anyone supposed to respond to something like that?

So, he attempts to segue the conversation into safer terrain — “Is there anything you need from me?” 

“Nothing but your time, and if possible, your affection.” There is a mischievous glint in his eye when Kyungsoo looks up at him. 

“If that’s all then I’ll take my leave first, excuse me.” He says with a huff of annoyance, as he attempts to push past Jongin to make his escape. 

However, Jongin quickly thwarts his attempts. Using his body to form a human wall, as he traps Kyungsoo between his chest and the counter whilst keeping his palms firmly planted on either side of the smaller male to cage him in. 

Kyungsoo’s hands instinctively reaches up to push at Jongin’s shoulders, but he finds resistance melting almost instantly when he hears Jongin’s next words: “Did I upset you?” The younger asks the question with such a stricken look on his face that Kyungsoo actually starts to feel something suspiciously akin to guilt, though his rational mi