#his hair is meant to be more a mint green (might tweak that in the future) | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

marshmallowprotection · 4 years

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Petunia

Assistant Lila AU!

Link: AO3

Pairing: Choi Saeran/Original Female Character(s)

Description: Unknown always wanted to have his own assistant. One that is bathed in wisteria and petunias, covering their throat until they suffocate or give in. There are some things that he can’t do by showing his face and that’s where someone who was very much his equal in sense of the word would be able to help him achieve the goals of Paradise. He’s got his eyes set on somebody and surely, with her, the success of Mint Eye is ensured.

Based on the Prologue’s Bad Ending. A standalone fic that can read without reading any of the other stories in the series.

Surprise. Judas and Minji make their debut.

Chapter One | Chapter Two | Chapter Three

4: You Should See Me In A Crown

“Guess who?”

No response.

“Hahaha… look at your face. I missed that. Surprised to see me, huh? Honestly, oh, really, Unknown, you know I can withstand anything they throw at me. After all, that’s why I told you I loved Wisteria so much way back when. No matter what you do to destroy it and get rid of it, it just keeps coming back.”

What a compromising position. Unknown sprawled back on the couch as he gazed up at Wisteria with a cheery smile on her face that did not reach her eyes. It was great to see him again, though. Wisteria had been so damn giddy from the instant that she had been set loose from her prison that finally seeing what was hers made her happy!

She wasn’t sure what it was, or why she felt so great, but she did.

Maybe it was the fact that everyone that got a glimpse of the look in her eyes turned tail and got the hell out of her way, or perhaps it was how exhilarating it felt to be able to do as she wanted. The Savior had been rather gracious, believe it or not. She was given her own room, her own space, and everything else that she could have ever wanted to have in her possession.

No one would quite be able to describe the excitement she felt when she realized her entire wardrobe was filled to the brim with ribbon, lace, and frills. She felt quite at home once she was able to take a hot shower and slip into something more comfortable.

It took a little bit to do herself up, touching up her makeup, brushing and curling her hair, and tweaking little things here and there. By the time she was finished, the green coordinate that she delicately put on made her look like a real force to be reckoned with.

At the first glimpse, you would look and see what you thought was a sweet girl.

Her smile was seemingly sincere and the way that she walked almost as if she were gliding on air.

You might have never suspected that she was anything more than a girl with a bubbly attitude. Upon further speculation, you would realize that her look did not reach her eyes. Something so sweet could never be so tainted… right?

Like a poison apple, sweet until you take a bite.

It’s that lingering and haunting question that made people not want to find out the real answer for themselves. Perhaps that’s why every person that took the path that crossed her own took a second look and then hurried out of the way in the fear of what may happen.

There was something to be said about the power that came from those who used their dispositions to their advantage. Nobody wants to believe anything innocent can be twisted. It’s that failure to be aware of the surroundings that would force them down to their knees and to plead for mercy. This is the power that only Wisteria could have.

Her weakness was an asset.

That’s why the Savior let her lean into it.

That’s why she whispered in her ear and pushed her forward to take action on what she needed. This was the way that she was supposed to be all along. It just took a lot of pain to find this out. Now that she knew what she was capable of, and that nobody was going to stand in her way to get there, life could work to the ideal.

It was one thing to become who you were meant to be.

It was another entirely to get to the life you were meant to be leading.

Unknown had been right after all when he said that it was only a matter of time until everything just clicked.

She hadn’t been too sure of him, but now, she had no doubts about it. That might have been why her heart was pounding against her chest when she went to see him. She wanted to show him that she had realized his devotion.

When she entered his workspace, she found him in one of his rarer positions. He was fast asleep.

He often worked himself hard and harder than that, but when he did take the time to rest he always looked so adorable. Oh, how she wanted him to lay back against her lap so she could run her fingers through his messy locks. It reminded her of all those times when he wouldn’t listen to a word of her advice at all and take care of himself.

Well, he wouldn’t be telling her no from now on, would he?

Wisteria took a seat next to him, and let out a little wistful longing. How dare he be asleep when he knew that she was free from her chains? After all this time that she had been gone from him, she would have assumed that he would be more excited. Well, if he didn’t know that she would be coming for him, then it wasn’t all his fault.

She thought that the Savior had told him to be expecting her company very soon. Either he hadn’t heard her words or he wanted to be left in a vulnerable state. Well, it wasn’t that much of a bad thing for him... surprises were fun! She had to stop the giggles from leaving the back of her throat at the thought.

It would get mighty boring if he didn’t know that she was back. This simply wouldn’t do! What was royalty without their loyal subjects?

Wisteria wasted no time after that thought came to mind. The back of her hand brushed against his cheek and she shook him until he began to stir awake.

It took a moment, but he got the picture and opened his eyes. The room was a bit dark without the monitors on and the hum of the gears turning in the background made it hauntingly quiet. He didn’t react at first, but when she began to speak to him, her shoulders went tense.

He was so startled with delight that he didn’t know how to respond!

Wisteria couldn’t stop the giggles this time, “Cat got your tongue, huh? That’s okay. I understand it must be a lot to take in since I’ve finally come into my own. You don’t have to say anything. I already know what you’re going to say to me, Unknown! But honestly, I bet you’re just happy that you get to be in my presence again! You’re lucky, y’know? You’re the only person worth anything in this place and I want you.”

Her mint eyes sparkled as Unknown finally met her gaze. There was no sign of fear or trepidation in his mint eyes at this time. He just looked upon her with the weight of the world in his hands, like she was the entire world, the only thing that mattered.

It brought that wicked grin back to her face that had been wiped away for so long.

The hint of surprise that had been written all over his face when he realized that she was with him again was now long but gone.

The way that his eyes are so filled to the brim with infatuation and obsession is beautiful. He can only look at her in this way. She wouldn’t stand for anything otherwise. After all, that was the way that she felt about him.

She brushed her hand against his cheek, “I’m sorry I was gone for such a long time… but, it’s perfect now. I finally understand what I was lacking all this time. The Savior helped me put it into perspective while I was away. Lila was a crybaby do-gooder who would have done anything to please others, even if it wasn’t things that she wanted to do. Her flaw was that she was too scared to fight for what she loved. There was no way that that thinking would have ever survived in paradise. So… I had to erase her from my mind.”

It was a pity, or really, it wasn’t at all.

If you wanted to survive, you had to realize what you were lacking. It took some time but she figured it out. Unknown had made sense in the end, but it wasn’t until she was put through real pain that she was able to reach such a conclusion. She had potential and she just couldn’t see it until she was ripped away from him.

“There’s no power in fear… why be afraid when you were the one that chose me? You saw something in me that nobody else ever did. You were right, I didn’t know what was good for me. But, now I do… I see it now, I see the beautiful future you envisioned for us,” there was a laugh at her lips. “I’ll do anything to ensure it… anything… just ask me for it, and I’ll do it. It doesn’t matter what it is. I’ll bind them until they can’t move. I’ll bring them to their knees for you. I’ll do whatever it takes.”

Her smile grew, “Like a lamb to the slaughter, one by one, I’ll destroy all of them. Anybody that gets in your way, our way, my way. I’ll make them wish they never set their eyes on me. Isn’t that lovely? The last thing they would ever suspect is a pretty princess to be the one that makes them bleed. The best flowers that people cultivate are covered in thorns, after all.”

Unknown’s hand reached up and brushed against her own.

It was a small gesture… not unlike the ones that she used to show him. He was just ensuring that she was there with him. She had often had visions of him thanks to the elixir, and she didn’t mind the feeling that reminded her that he was really in her grasp.

It lingered, for a long pause.

At least, until he sat up and caught her in an embrace. It left Wisteria with a sense of glee.

She couldn’t stop that laughter that escaped her lips, “Hahahaha… That makes the thrill of the ending so much more fun, doesn’t it, Unknown? When they think they’re safe and sound, you’ll get to break what’s left until there’s nothing left of them in our castle. I can’t wait… I want to see them scream and cry for mercy.”

Unknown was always strong. There was no doubt in those words. There was no way it could be any other way. He could and would destroy anything or anyone that got into his way and in the way of paradise, no question. It was dangerous but it had to be done, after all. She would be there to take care of him and ensure his safety.

However, there was only one thing that one may be able to say that his heart was fond of and it was this woman and the power she brought to him the way that she had. It wasn’t that he showed a weaker side with her that nobody else saw that he could see paradise.

It was that she saw his power and didn’t contribute it to anything but him.

For him to feel as though he was strong when he spent so long thinking that he wasn’t? Oh, to have somebody address him in a way that his Savior hadn’t. As angry as he had been that his princess had been ripped away from him, now that anger was long gone.

She was back with him, and despite the small change, her faith was steadfast.

She was back and she officially saw everything she had been oblivious to beforehand. Something in her eyes had changed, and Unknown wanted to see that look grow. He wanted to show her something that would make her laugh with delight.

He was going to destroy everything he had set out to and she was going to be his side as it all crumbled down. To hear her speak such vicious words… her eagerness to ruin them all. It made him excited. It ignited a fire inside of him that he wanted to keep burning until the end of time.

Unknown knew that with her at his side, things would start to work the way that he had always wanted them to. She was perfect before this transformation, but this person was more than happy to kill in his name, to destroy in his name, to do whatever it took all for him.

It was touching.

His princess, his thorn, his Wisteria.

Her fingers quickly grasped at the collar of his shirt as she tugged him closer to her embrace as close as she could get him to be to her body. Her voice was as sweet as honey but the undertone was clear, concise, and vicious, ”Your princess is back and she’s not going anywhere you aren’t going to be. You know that, right?”

“I’ll kill them before it happens again,” he whispered. “I’ll get rid of them all and if I find out who the ones that dragged you away like they savages they were… I can’t even say it right now, I’m too fucking excited about their end. The Savior won’t say a word about it, either. You know why?”

The sound of his voice was soft but his anger still lingered towards those that had tried to take her away from him. He had his moments where he seemed as though his knife had dulled, but those were only brief and replaced very fast.

“Hahaha… I know why,” she said, stopping her giggles. “Because they’re nothing but expendable pawns. Trash, unworthy of the positions they occupy. While they do nothing but comply with orders and stick to their path like cowards, you go above and beyond. They only listen because they’re scared of what will happen if they fight back. While they do nothing and reap the benefit, you’re the one building and securing the success of our paradise.”

Unknown pulled back and revealed the pleased look on his face.

She had never been stupid. She may have had her moments where her weakness had taken hold but not once had she ever not seen the full picture of his intentions.

He rewarded her with a kiss, the coveted treasure that she often yearned for but could never put into words, what she had wanted when her fingers grasped at the cuffs of his jacket long ago.

“Good job, princess,” he praised. “That’s right. They’re nothing but pieces waiting to be sacrificed for the greater good. That’s why the Savior never gives them the tasks she gives to me. I’m the strongest. I’m the only one that’s worthy of her trust. But now, that includes you. I see it written all over your little face, you’ve shown them all how strong you really are, haven’t you? Mmm, I’m almost jealous that they got to see your power without me there to watch it all burn. How does it feel? How does it feel to show them their place?”

Wisteria reveled in his sincere praise.

Her mint eyes trembled with excitement at the notion that he was happy with her choices. She gazed deeply into those eyes of his, feeling herself getting lost in the sea of green. Her arms splayed over his shoulders and she scooted forward just so that their foreheads would be touching.

“You know, it’s not my fault people don’t know that the queen is the strongest piece of the set. I didn’t even have to say anything to them,” she murmured. “All I had to do was look at them, and they fucking ran for the hills. Of course, plenty of those idiots got in my way before I found my way back to you, my sweet.”

She glanced over at the countless computers at his disposal, and then looked back over at him with a mischievous glint in her expression.

“I put on quite the show, I think. I don’t think any of them were ready for a princess. Guess I hoped you were watching me get rid of the common filth. I thought you’d enjoy that. You’ll have to give it a look later, huh? It’s a shame, really, but they should know better than to think they’re worthy of my time. We’re not even on the same level,” Wisteria said.

“Mhm,” Unknown, of course, would agree with that sentiment. “I’m glad to hear you say that, princess. I bet it was a sight to see. Too bad those idiots can’t appreciate true power. You coming unglued? Now that’s something I’ve been itching to see happen. If they don’t respect you, let me know, I’ll take care of it.”

Why wouldn’t he do that, though? He was the one who picked her for a higher purpose and he was the one who told her she was better than all of them. It was very true, of course, but she didn’t really find herself believing it until she awoke.

Wisteria smiled back at him, “Haha… I’m so happy to be your princess. I’m afforded such gracious luxuries. Mmm, I deserve it, of course. I can say the same for you. I’ll hurt anyone who tries to hurt you. If I’m yours, you’re mine, honey. I can’t wait to build our paradise. Let’s burn everything down and build it back up again, you and me… forever.”

Unknown was pleased.

“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿

“Who do you think you are?”

“I- I’m very sorry, Wisteria. I didn’t mean to imply…”

“Oh, you didn’t mean to? You mean you didn’t think at all! Do you have air for brains? You come here to tell me something that I already know? Do you think I don’t know how important this is for the Savior and paradise? Do you think you’re worthy of my time? No, no. You can’t actually and honestly be that stupid, can you? Because if you had a brain, you would know not to bother me! If I had half a mind, then I would send you to the basement myself just for this insubordination.”

Wisteria was starting to lose her patience.

She was getting tired of idiots who didn’t know their place and morons who didn’t understand anything.

She had been in the middle of ensuring that Unknown’s tests went through this time and this dumb Believer thought that she could just waltz into this room without addressing her with the appropriately chosen label.

She narrowed her eyes, almost bored, but still rightfully angry. She tapped her fingers in a row against the armrest of her chair and waited, waited to hear the stupid excuses this Believer had. “Well? What do you have to say for yourself, Believer? Or are you going to stand there like a clown with your mouth open?”

Wisteria watched and waited.

The girl must have realized the danger she was in at that moment.

She sank to the ground and bowed her head to beg for forgiveness, as she should have, “Please, no, no, please! I’m sorry! The Savior just insisted I tell you to make sure you knew how important it is to be working right now! She said that you would understand. You and Unknown are doing everything for the Mint Eye, I would never dare think to get in your way.”

She almost laughed, almost.

As it should have been, Wisteria thought.

Only those that respected her power and privilege were worthy of any pity on her part. Nobody deserved her time simply because they thought they could take it from her.

No, she was gracious enough to give herself to everyone else simply out of the kindness of her heart. It was the same for the Savior, after all. Women such as themselves were put into power for a reason and it was better left unquestioned.

By all intents and purposes, Wisteria was to be treated like a princess. If anyone dared to do anything less than that…?

Well, those people were still learning their lesson below the floorboards.

Wisteria thought about it for a moment, “Mmm, maybe I won’t toss you to the basement since you apologized so nicely.”

The girl almost breathed a sigh of relief but before she could get it out of her mouth, Wisteria stood up from her seat and approached her with a quiet look.

Wisteria rested her hand against her shoulder with finely tipped nails pointing down in an angle and cocked her head. “Now if you waste my time, or waste Unknown’s precious time with unneeded advice again? Well, I’d hate to be in your shoes if that were the case, hahaha. There are far worse places to be in this castle, trust me. I don’t want to hurt anyone. You know, I want all the subjects of Magenta to be happy. But how can they be happy if it’s most committed members cannot complete their work as needed?”

The Believer swallowed.

“All I ask for is a little respect,” Wisteria sighed. ”Now, can you tell me where you went wrong? Why I’m so angry with you right now? What should you have done from the start? Well, aside from not bothering such an important person, that is.”

“I… I—”

Her patience was, after all, thin.

Wisteria clicked her tongue, clearly in distaste. “Mmm? What was that? I’m sorry, dear, I just can't hear a single word that’s coming out of your pitiful little mouth. Speak up. Or, are you begging me to throw you away?”

“I’m sorry, I should have spoken to you before I came into the room,” the girl mustered in her weak, but slightly louder voice this time. “I know you and Unknown value your privacy when you’re working but it must have slipped my mind or s-something! I’m sorry. I’m not as great as the two of you. I can’t remember my place. But, I promise I’ll do better next time! I promise! I promise! Just don’t send me back to the basement. I’m sorry to have disturbed you, princess.”

Now that brought a smile to Wisteria’s face. “There we go, now was that so hard? I feel so much better knowing you understand your place. If you think I’m being cruel… or unjust… oh, silly little girl. I’m being nice right now. If the Savior knew that you didn’t respect your place… oh, I would hate to think what would become of you.”

Her fingertips were sliding dangerously close to the girl’s throat. Not enough to leave a mark or anything but just enough to make a show of force.

Why... Wisteria would never stain her hands with a mess.

She didn’t have to worry about that since Unknown was more than happy to get rid of rift raft but she would if she had to do it. She just didn’t want to waste her time cleaning it up.

“You know why the Savior thinks so much of me? I make sure that everyone follows their rules and stays where they’re meant to be. It’s simply the order of things. You’re either born royal or not. Some of you just aren’t cut out for these things, and that’s why I’m here to protect you. I would hate to think about how much more trouble people would face if I wasn’t so kind and caring enough to watch out for everyone. The Savior isn’t forgiving of mistakes. Do you think that she would forgive mistakes as easily as I do?”

The Believer shook her head, desperately. “No. No, she wouldn’t.”

They both knew the answer to that question. Those that fell out of line and didn’t do what they were meant to do would pay the price. She had paid the price once, but that had been enough to set her on the right path. Really, that’s all it should have taken. Once, and done. If it took more than that was that person even worth the horrible trouble and headaches that they were causing?

Wisteria couldn’t say that she thought they were. No matter the cost, as long as he was safe, then she would do what had to be done.

✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿

“You know, I was thinking...”

“How dangerous.”

Wisteria leaned forward so that her arms wrapped around his shoulders from behind. She tucked her head against his shoulder and watched his numerous flashes of women splayed across the screen. It consisted of all the different candidates that he had found in his research, and while there was only a handful of them, it was a start. He had been looking for them through the safety of Magenta.

He wasn’t often out in the field since he had gotten his hands on her and that had gone so well. He didn’t see a need in wasting much of his time when he could apply to other places.

The application was complete.

He had finally finished the recreation of the messenger that was damn near identical to the original thing.

Now it was simply a matter of finding somebody who would be stupid enough to go to the apartment. It wasn’t difficult in theory.

However, the application of which was frustratingly hard given simply the fact that so many people didn’t trust others. Nobody was acting out of the kindness of their heart, and it would be a waste of time to pick a girl who wouldn’t do what they needed.

Not everybody was as kind or naive as Lila had been.

Wisteria rolled her eyes at his tone, but she only laughed it off as she normally would when his tone was begrudgingly sour. “I think you mean to say, how devious, Nowny. How dare you be so rude to your princess when she’s trying to help.”

The clack of his fingers against the keys paused momentarily, “Princess, would you cut to the chase here? You know I love playing games with you but this isn’t the kind of game I prefer when I’m working. Get to the point. What are you thinking about?”

Wisteria smiled.

She was pleased that he picked up so fast. He would always pretend as though he was irritated with her antics but she knew better than to believe that act. He loved it when she played games, and he liked it when she toyed with him for fun.

He never had anyone that was on his level before so he ate it up. She would milk it for all it was worth just to see the way his eyes lit up.

Her vision rested on the monitor.

“Well… we’re only making so much progress doing things this way. You may be able to get into these girl’s online accounts without even trying, but that’s no way to learn if they’re the ideal target for the RFA. After all, you can only learn so much about somebody from what they use online,” she stated, rather matter-of-factly.

Unknown didn’t react, “...Continue.”

“Isn’t the whole point in looking for a naive looking girl that can woo the RFA? You can hardly learn what makes them tick if you only go on their online presence and if we don’t choose the right person, then the member they choose is utterly random and we can only gain so much power if they choose the wrong one,” Wisteria pointed out.

It wasn’t the goal to only get half of what they needed.

The goal was to win and take everything as soon as possible.

He lifted his hand and rested it against hers. It was small but he never did anything overwhelmingly drastic when he was in the middle of work. Only when she got onto his nerves would he act out and give her something substantial.

She nuzzled her face against the crook of his neck. “If you ask me if the goal here is to destroy the RFA in one big swing, then we need to hit them where it hits and strike at the center the first time. Strike them where it hurts and hard. We need somebody innocent enough and stupid enough to fall for that redhead and in turn, get him to fall for them in a short period.”

Unknown seemed to be listening intently to this.

If he didn’t think it was a good idea to seek out then he wouldn’t have even bothered to listen to it in its entirety. She just needed to whisper these sweet nothings into his thoughts and he would simply agree.

Wisteria wanted them to win. She wanted him to stand on top. She wanted for there to be nothing but paradise ahead and the faster that she took care of this the faster that Unknown would be able to rest and never work another hard day.

Why would he?

If he’s the winner… the strongest… no pain could ever come his way again.

“The minute he lets his guard down… the second he thinks that he can have everything, that’s when you steal the girl from those idiots. If you have her once they care for her, then that redhead is certain to do anything you want, no question. He gives up. You win,” Wisteria purred. Her digits brushed against his cheek. ”Ohohoho, can you imagine that? Our paradise succeeding with one decisive blow? That’s the testament to the faith we’ve been given.”

Unknown chuckled.

He seemed pleased with that idea, but he wasn’t going to let her get away with something without proving her worth to him. “Tell me, princess, what exactly do you plan to do to find me the ideal target?”

Wisteria didn’t miss a beat, “Oh, honey… don’t you know? You’ve got the best assistant you could have ever had. You give me the target, and I make sure they’re the right choice. I go out into the field and interrogate these girls, get into their lives and heads without them being the wiser. What threat does a woman like me give? Nobody would ever think somebody as cute as me is being deceptive. What’s scary about little ol’ me?”

She let go of Unknown and spun around to face away from him. She pressed her hands to her face to stifle some of her giggles at the thoughts of her plan. She had been thinking about this for a while but to hear it spoken into life felt good.

Unknown seemed so pleased!

That’s all she wanted.

She wanted him to be happy with her and this was the way to get that from him every time. She could feel his eyes on her back as she spoke, “The last thing someone would think is a crybaby princess is actually out to use them for the greater good, Nowny. After all, isn’t that why you wanted somebody like me? You wanted somebody cute as a doll but as sharp as a knife. So, use me. Use me to your full advantage. I’m yours. Let me be your sword. I’ll cut them to ribbons.”

Let her destroy everything that hurts her Unknown.

✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿

She was the perfect unwitting target.

A girl traveling who had no idea how to wrap their head around the area, nor did they know how to handle things.

Somebody kind, but at the same time, seeking approval from others and looking for a place to fit in. The story sounded all that familiar and for that reason, it was why she was the one chosen. Someone who was in the wrong place at the right time. Wisteria had done everything right.

She tricked the girl into giving her phone up one rainy evening and planted the bug as quickly as she could without the girl being any the wiser. She was a bubbly thing and had been so easily tricked. All Wisteria had to do was make up a lie about being a lost foreigner.

Cho Minji handed over her phone without a second glance.

Nobody suspected a damn thing from a friendly smile from a girl with a smile from ear to ear like she did. She waved as their target hurried to her home without a care in the world where the message from her partner would come the next day after everything was taken care of. She had done this countless times for Unknown’s sake and it had been child’s play.

Finding a good candidate wasn’t easy and they had to keep guessing and playing around until the good girl popped up, and Unknown had already dealt with so many failures. She didn’t let him bother with it when she could handle it.

Minji would have helped anyone who asked, but Wisteria needed to see firsthand what she was to know if that idiot would love her as he should. She was glad to say that the target was the right choice, and her smile was perfect. This was her plan, after all, she had to ensure that the girl did what she said that she would to help her darling.

Unknown took care of the rest for her and the rest was history as they say. He took matters into his own hands the following day and it worked just as planned. She walked from the streets and straight into the apartment without even asking any questions about if she should do it or not.

Unwitting, daft, easy to manipulate, compassionate, romantic, and longing to please someone. All the traits needed to ensnare that redhead.

He wanted someone who would love him without question despite how hard he would try to push them away, Wisteria knew his type, and she knew that this girl was perfect for him.

Now, all they had to do was watch.

By the time that Wisteria walked back into their shared office, Unknown was already cutting off every possible angle that that redhead could try to cut through in a matter of seconds. She had stepped out once the girl went into the apartment to get him something to eat for working so hard. She took one look at the screen where the RFA was panicking in their messenger.

They had taken the bait, hook, line, and sinker.

It had only been a matter of time until the right candidate came around and sure enough, the scared little girl had proven to be innocent.

Easy.

Simple.

“You made a good choice,” Unknown told her when she took her spot next to him. She rested her arms behind her back and looked at the screens to watch as it all unfolded. The RFA opened their arms wide and let her join, just as simple as that.

“We made a good choice,” she replied, simply. “I am nothing without you, Unknown. I am just happy to see that the plan is working so well. It’s only a matter of time until you get to destroy them all. I can’t wait to see the happy look on your face as they all crash and burn. The state of happiness that they have now will be for naught very soon.”

“Paradise will be all the sweeter when we’re the ones satisfied.”

“Our happiness will be cemented soon enough, my love.”

The green light illuminated the room around them.

The color of envy.

✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿

“Cameras are set to loop, boss. Let me know you get to the roof, okay? I want to give you as much time as possible to get her so we don’t have to worry about any funny business from those idiots. I haven’t seen anything to suggest they’re any wiser about it, though.”

His voice came back from the other end of the receiver, “Heh. Of course not, Wisteria. They’re too distracted with the other traps you set for them.”

Wisteria stared at the laptop in front of herself and watched as the feeds looped. He was going in alone to take care of everything since it was an easy-in and an easy-out. She had to make sure everything was going smoothly from the car a few blocks away.

If push came to shove, then they would have to take the necessary precautions to complete the mission no matter the task. The Savior had given them a failsafe if they had to do but it wouldn’t happen at all. It wouldn’t come to that. The Savior had made it very clear what would happen if things did not go the way that they should go, something bad would happen.

“Duh,” she told him, though there was an odd sensation in her stomach. “As if I wouldn’t give them all something to deal with so we wouldn’t be disturbed. They’re too worried about themselves to even get themselves to think about Minji.”

He had to go the long way to get into the apartment.

He had to avoid all of the cameras and scale down from the roof to get to the apartment, and he was in the middle of repelling from the top. She had her eyes on the apartment camera feed that he had hacked into. Minji was just sitting there at the desk working on the party.

The blonde was pretty, Wisteria would give her that. She had long legs, and her golden eyes could have ensured any man would crumble at her feet. She knew that she would be the girl to get that moron to fall in love and now that he had fallen for her, she was going to be the key to destroying the man that had hurt her Unknown.

The sounds of Unknown’s breath came from the other end, and she could almost feel him go still against the glass. “Hit the switch, Wisteria,” he said.

She pressed her finger against the enter key and deactivated the security system’s alarm with one little keystroke. However, it began to blare in the apartment and Minji sprang to her feet, looking around the room as the robotic voice announced the system had come to life.

That meant their game would begin for real now, and there was no turning back. It quieted for a second and Wisteria figured that it had shut off.

Wisteria toggled the sound on and sat there for a moment with her eyes on the woman. The window broke with a loud crash and Unknown dusted the stray pieces from his body as he looked over at the girl with that glimmer in his eyes.

“Gosh… I didn’t plan on making a ruckus, but I guess I failed that one,” he chuckled. “Hey, miss, just stay there. You’ll only get covered in the glass if you try to walk.”

Minji stared at him, unable to move, as he made his way across the room and got closer and closer to the girl. She may have been taller than he was but she was still frightened of him. Her legs locked against the ground and she tried to look for a way out but the doorway too far away for her to make a break for it.

“Know who I am?” he asked the girl, feeding off of the look of terror in her eyes.

“You’re the… hacker, you’re one of the hackers,” she mustered the courage to open her mouth and answer him.

“Smart lady, huh? Then, this shouldn’t be so hard,” he noted, pulling the mask down from covering his face to reveal himself to Minji. “Heh, you know. It’s strange to see this place in person after we’ve been watching it through the camera. Oh? Did you not know that I was always watching, too? You must be surprised.”

Minji’s fingers twitched against her sides. “...”

Unknown stopped just in front of her and gave her the smallest amount of space, “I’ve been watching over you from the start, but you can thank my partner for landing you in this apartment. She was partial to you, I think you reminded her of somebody. No matter, you’ll be meeting her soon… we’re the ones that have been sending all those messages and games for those idiots to worry about. You’ve seen it. How did it look?”

Minji was trapped like a sitting duck. Her expression said all that needed to be said at that moment. She realized the position that she was in very fast and decided not to fight him, and Wisteria couldn’t have been more pleased. She didn’t want to hurt the party coordinator when they first met so it was good she knew her place!

“Our paradise, where everyone is happy. Magenta is a place of hope and dreams. I’ve come to take you there, Cho Minji, the RFA is filled with fake hope and liars. The worst of them all? The ones that you call V and Luciel,” his hand reached forward and cupped her cheek. “Don’t worry. I’ll explain all the details when we’re safe.”

“I’m not going anywhere,” Minji whimpered and tried to hide it under a sigh. “What the heck are you talking about?!”

“Oh, you don’t get to choose. I’m sorry,” he replied. “You’re with them because of me, and you’ll be leaving because of me. It doesn’t make sense right now, but this is all according to the will of paradise, my dear. You’ll be happy… forever.”

Minji’s breath had quickened and it was at this point that she tried to push him away but Unknown gripped her arms so tightly and growled.

“Seven! Help!” she pleaded, hoping that her prince would come and rescue her from danger. That liar would not be here fast enough, Wisteria smirked.

“I expected you to resist, but… that’s disgusting, yelling out that filthy name in front of me like that is going to make me sick,” he warned her, simply. His eyes had narrowed and he got so close that she could feel his breath against her face. “Why are you yelling his name? He’s not going to come. Even if he realizes, he’s not going to save you. I’m going to cleanse your mind of this false faith in liars, and show you paradise.”

Minji tried harder to fight back against him but he was angry now, and Wisteria could see that his patience wearing down. “Come willingly, or I will take you the hard way. I’ve made myself clear and I’m not going to repeat myself.”

The overhead speaker came to life again and announced that the system had sprung to life again and warned them.

What was happening?

Wisteria narrowed her eyes and hit the key again and it flickered off before Unknown could scold her for it.

“What the fuck is this?” she said, mostly to herself as the monitor glitched in front of herself. “Unknown, something isn’t right!”

Her vision quickly scanned the screens for information and then she noted it, the camera feed had stopped looping. There were people in the hallway and they were heading straight for the apartment when they shouldn’t have been.

One of them had black locks that she did not know, and the other was a redhead that she did very much know. The door was supposed to be locked, and the apartment security was supposed to be dead. The redhead typed something into his phone and the laptop in front of her began to fizzle out and their control faded.

Bad.

This was bad.

Her precious Unknown was going to be face to face with the man that had gotten him hurt so long again and she wasn’t there to protect him. She could do nothing but stare at the camera feed in horror as she watched.

“It’s him! Unknown! Seven is outside the apartment!” she clutched the end of the transceiver with sharp fingers. “He screwed with my control of the apartment! You need to get out of there right now, he’s got backup! Now! Get out!”

Unknown’s eyes widened as he stared at the door as it slammed open. He thought fast on his feet and yanked Minji into his grasp and held her against her as a hostage, “What? Why didn’t you warn me?!” he practically hissed.

Wisteria’s voice was just as panicked. “They knew or something! I— I fucking don’t know! He tripped and reversed the camera feed so I was getting the fake static instead of him! It doesn’t matter! You have her, use her to get out. You know he won’t fight if you’re touching her! Now, or we’ll have no choice but the Savior’s back up!”

Her fingers pressed against the keys as she tried to regain control but her knowledge of hacking was shit compared to his. He had taken care of everything all the time, she only knew the basics to back him up when he needed it.

Seven entered the room with the stranger in question that Wisteria didn’t know, both of them staring at the scene in front of them with wide eyes. Minji looked at both of the men with fear in her golden eyes, “Help!” she managed.

“You’re not supposed to be here!” Unknown seizes, seeing the face of this man making him start to grow uneasy. “You’re supposed to be in pain because of this girl, but not now, not now! Goddammit.”

Seven looked at him but he didn’t make the connection because he was looking at Minji the most and that’s when Wisteria knew that for sure that they had the right girl, but he had to throw a wrench in their plans. Her fingers burned the more she tried to type and regain power but her keystrokes got messier and messier by the second.

“You’re the hacker, then. Guess you’re not shameless since you tried to cover yourself up, but you’re going down. Let’s see, breaking and entering, illicit hacking, and you even smashed the window to get in!” he breathed, and then his eyes met Minji’s. “Don’t struggle, Minji. Judas and I will take care of this.”

“Let go of the pretty little lady,” the newly named Judas warned. His fingers were pointed resting against his pocket where he was just itching to grab his knife. “He’s been through the worst training known to man and I have been itching to cut someone since I got out of the business. The game’s over, two against one.”

Unknown grit his teeth, “Even now, you ruin my life.”

“Do I… know you?” Seven asked, slowly.

That was when Seven got a really good look at him. It didn’t seem to be clicking. How could he not know? He paused for a moment and then when Unknown cocked his head, he glowered and removed the mask all the way from his face. “You probably don’t even remember, huh? You’ve been trying to throw me away since we were kids.”

Seven’s eyes widened, and he let out a gasp. Both Minji and Judas were looking at him now with concern in their eyes.

“You still don’t know?” Unknown taunted him and brandished the trigger from his pocket as a fail-safe. “Figures. I’ll give you a guess since you’re so dumb… the last thing you told me was, I’ll always protect you.”

“No way…” he breathed, and he took a step back and Judas managed to steady the redhead before he fell on the ground.

“Seven, who is this guy?” Minji asked him, her eyes shifting from her captor to the two guys that had come from the bunker to protect her from danger. “How do you know him?”

Judas rested his hands against Seven’s shoulders and frowned, as he had already put the pieces together from just looking at the boy. He didn’t look as frightened as Wisteria wanted him to, she wanted this man to burn and cry for hurting her Unknown. The false look of worry in Seven’s eyes was totally disgusting.

How dare he pretend to love her Unknown!

“He’s…”

“I prayed that we wouldn’t meet like this. I knew that seeing you would throw a wrench in my plans and ruin me those pathetic times!” his thumb hovered over the button as he waited for the man to say something to him. “Bastard!”

“Why are you… why are you here, Saeran? You’re not… you’re supposed to be safe,” he breathed, those golden eyes of his desperate. “They promised me that you would be safe so why… why are you in this apartment?”

Wisteria jolted against her seat as the man spoke again, and said a name that she did not know or remotely recognize.

Saeran?

Who was Saeran?

Unknown’s voice came into her ears not long after that, and she could only shiver at the deadly warning he put out. “Don’t you dare call me that. You don’t deserve to use that name. That boy no longer exists, anyhow. Saeran is dead.”

Seven clutched at the fabric of his sleeves, “You’re the one that attacked the algorithm? God, how did you learn how to hack? Why did you learn how to hack? Who taught you? What happened when I left you with them?!”

His words were starting to become too much for Unknown. He needed to get out of that place, plan be damned. His breath was quicken and he lashed out, “Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!”

“Rika said that you were…”

“You… don’t you dare say that name, either!”

“...What?”

“Traitor! Liar! Idiot! All you do is make excuses and lies for yourself! So, shut up, shut up before I blow this place to kingdom come,” his voice shook but he meant what he was saying to him without a trace of fear to be seen. “Get out of my way and I may let you live!”

“Unknown,” Wisteria tried again, but he wasn’t responded when she tried to speak to him through the line. “Please, focus. You need to get out of there. We can get the party planner another time, or you can take her now, but you need to get out!”

Seven tried to take another step closer but that only made Unknown grip the trigger harder, “Saeran… what happened…? What happened to you to make you like this? I don’t understand. Rika would have never lied to me.”

“You’re the liar! You’re the one that hurts others! Shut up, shut up, shut up already! I can tell when you’re doing it, you’ve always done this,” he warned him.

“I’m not lying!” Seven hastily replied.

“You’re not? That promise about saving me and protecting me, then? About escaping together and living happily? That was a lie. Why are you still lying right now? Are you trying to save yourself in front of the girl? Too bad, she knows that you’re a liar already,” Unknown used his free hand to push his arm deeper into her throat.

“I know and remember all of your lies. I know what you are. You changed your name and you’ve been running from me. Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten. That’s going to piss me off even more. I’m going to make you remember all of it.”

Seven shook his head as if it mattered as if his excuse mattered. “No… I have no choice! I can’t explain everything right now, there’s just so much that happened!”

“What a load of shit! Shut up! Pathetic, you’re pathetic. You had no choice? I’ve never heard a bigger lie in my entire life.” Unknown couldn’t stop himself from laughing, the bitter kind of laugh that only came out when he spoke of this man. “You’ve been covering lies for so long that even you believe what you say! I knew you were lowly. I knew you were daft. My Savior was right!”

“Saeran… I don’t know know what they told you but I… I thought you were safe and living in happiness,” the redhead tried again. “I even asked Rika to show me proof of that, because I couldn’t go and see you myself. It’s too dangerous. You looked happy. I didn’t know something was wrong. Please, talk to me!”

“Stop lying! I don’t want to hear anymore!” He spat.

“Okay,” Seven said, putting his hands up to show that he wasn’t armed. “Let Minji go, and then we can talk. Please, it doesn’t have to be like this. You hate me right now, and I should be the only one that faces punishment.”

“He’s not going to budge,” Judas said behind him, his voice was sot but it was firm. “Seven, you’re not going to reach him. We have to act. This isn’t working.”

Unknown only laughed in their faces. “You’ve got this all wrong. I’m the one that brought her here, my partner picked her real special for paradise and she’s coming with me today. She’s always belonged to me from the moment I brought her here.”

Seven shook his head, and there was something in his eyes that looked concerned. Unknown finally saw the feelings in those golden eyes, and he knew, he knew that this man loved this woman. This was the real chip for them to use against him.

“Oh? You care about this girl, don’t you? You must love her, huh? That makes it all the more fun to stay that I’m going to take her with me to paradise,” he taunted. “I’m in a bad mood and I’m ready to kill someone. Don’t make this worse.”

“...Even if I cared, it’s useless,” his voice sounded defeated.

Unknown nuzzled his face against the top of her head and Minji squirmed against him, “I thought so, Wisteria was right. You can’t lie to me, I can see everything you’re feeling and saying right now. That makes me even happier, I can do whatever I want to this girl and it will make you suffer in ways that I have long craved.”

“Stop this!” she pleaded with him. “I’ll go, I’ll go with you, just stop it!”

“Minji, no, he’s not leaving with you!” Judas told her swiftly. He had stepped from Seven was now seemingly ready to make a move.

“How’s about I play with all of you?” Unknown sneered. “I think I’d like that. That’s the only good all of you will be in paradise, just playthings for the Savior, my partner, and myself. You may get lucky if Wisteria pities you but she wants what I want. The ceremony to join is particularly painful and I can think of no greater pleasure than watching you scream.”

It seemed like he had them on the ropes but Wisteria was too stunned to do anything as he steadily inched toward the door with the girl. He wouldn’t listen to her pleas and no matter how hard she tried to disengage the bomb, it wouldn’t budge. Unknown didn’t know about the bomb, only she did, as the Savior had told her.

Unknown thought it was a back-up option. He thought it would kill the lights, and he was bluffing to scare them right now.

She didn’t want to lose him.

“Saeran, just take me!” Seven pleaded.

Wisteria’s fingers pressed against the keys once more but it errored for the last time. She stared, in horror, as the countdown clock began to appear on her monitor. Either it locked her out or the apartment itself knew that there was someone inside that didn’t belong. There was no time for this game, she grabbed her piece, and shouted at him—

“There’s really a bomb, Unknown! You have to get out right now, it’s going to start blaring! I can’t hold it back any longer! Please, I know you can hear me over there! Listen to me, if you don’t get out in the next few minutes, it’s going to kill all of you!”

“A STRANGER HAS BEEN LOCATED! SECURITY SYSTEM ENGAGED.”

Unknown whipped his head back to see that Wisteria had been right. He grimaced and realized the situation they were in, and yet, he was too angry to give a fuck. “What the fuck? She had it locked down. What the fuck do you mean there’s a bomb, Wisteria?!”

“Seven, you better have been joking about the bomb,” Judas breathed, eyes widening. “This thing is going to blow?!”

“STRANGER LOCATED… STARTING COUNTDOWN.”

Seven stared at his brother with wide eyes and cursed. “It’s sensing Saeran as a stranger. You need to get out of here, there really is a bomb!”

“BACKING UP ALL INFORMATION. AFTER THE BACKUP IS COMPLETE, THE BOMB WILL INITIATE. THIRTY SECONDS LEFT.”

“We’ll all die if we don’t get out of here!” Seven repeated himself.

Nobody moved, and this shock must have taken Unknown off of his focus. It was like the world had stopped spinning and nobody knew what to do with themself. Minji took the time to bite down on Unknown’s arm and free herself from her grasp, scrambling across the room into Seven’s embrace while Judas launched himself at Unknown.

He knocked him to the ground just skidded a few feet away from him. Unknown’s breath quickened, and he cursed loudly.

“TEN SECONDS… NINE SECONDS…”

Judas rolled onto his feet and turned to face Unknown but he had managed to get to his feet where he looked like a caged animal with three people all around him. He knew that he had no choice but his voice was ragged with curses, “Shit.. shit… shit…!”

“SEVEN SECONDS… SIX SECONDS…”

“Unknown! Get out! Get out of there, please! Now!” Wisteria pleaded with him, and at the same time, Seven was doing the same time. They were both telling him what to do and he had no choice. He had no choice in doing what he wanted to do. This was the last thing that he wanted and there was no way for him to do anything else—

“Saeran… please!” Seven echoed the words that Wisteria had told him.

He spared the man that he hated one final look, “I’ll make you pay for everything that you’ve done to me, including what happened here today! Don’t you fucking forget it, that girl will be mine and you will die by my hand!“

Unknown raced out of that room as fast as he could, shoving Judas out of the way and hurrying out of the floor entirely, racing down the stairs floor by floor to get to the bottom. Wisteria redirected her attention back to tripping camera feeds to cover up his tracks from anyone else following him, but her vision was blurry with hot tears as she worked.

“SENSING STRANGER’S MOVEMENT… REDIRECTING… REDIRECTING… STRANGER IS GONE. STOPPING COUNTDOWN. THE SECURITY SYSTEM IS NOW IN LOCKDOWN MODE.”

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rkxsunggyu-blog · 7 years

Text

Samsung C&T Audition Part 2 | Cocktail Party

He’s stiff as a board, blinking too hard, and tucking his chin back until he looks like a turkey. Thank goodness he’d roped his mother into helping him practice before the actual audition. Now he can be a disaster instead of a total nightmare.

There isn’t anything in this world that can’t be taught, according to his grandmother. She also told him that he’ll need the Lord’s help because he doesn’t have natural talent. Or looks, even if his mother tells grandma to hush.

Ever since he’d accidentally been approved (then promptly rejected) from a previous casting call, he’s taken matters into his own hands. The producer had told him that his proportions were pleasing, but he needed to get a “little work” done. Of course, Sunggyu thought this meant hard work. He definitely put in the hours -- reading, studying, practicing, and watching Korea’s Next Top Model alongside his ever critical grandmother. But even when someone finally explained what the producer meant, he brushed off his bruised ego and continued on his merry way.

Lower back pain was a small price to pay from hunching over beauty magazines all afternoon. The hours spent sprawled on the living room floor with a protractor, ruler, and compass would all be worth it. He measured everything. It was like he was studying for entrance exams all over again, except his notes and magic marker diagrams were to guide him through a proper head tilt.

Then, by some lucky chance -- he’d like to thank his guardian angel for this miracle -- he’d been approved for a Samsung modeling audition. Needless to say, he immediately begged a friend to trade phones for twenty-four hours. He thought it would look better if he brought a Samsung Galaxy instead of his indestructible, generic pay-as-you-go phone circa 2009. Sunggyu woke up the morning of the shoot after a night of fantasizing about glossy magazines and camera flashes...

Then, he forgot everything.

“WHAT WAS I THINKING?”

This wasn’t no low-budget pamphlet for the local supermarket. This was Samsung. THE Samsung.

He’s made a fool of himself before, but never on the professional level. His mother suggested they practice before he heads out in order to calm his nerves. His small family huddles together, crowding over the digital camera and they scroll through his shots. An awkward atmosphere congests their living room. Sunggyu takes the camera and nervously flicks through the photographs. “There have to be some good ones,” he says. “We took so many.”

He reaches the end of all photographs and blinks in disbelief. Only grandmother has the courage to break the silence of the room with unabashed honesty. “They look horrible,” she says. “What are you doing with your eyes? Are you squinting into the sun? And that double chin you’re making!”

Sunggyu is about to tell the director he’s made a mistake when to his surprise, his grandmother yanks him into the kitchen by the ear. She’s always criticized and degraded him for wanting to enter the entertainment industry -- a field, she insists, is for mindless, dancing fools. He thought that she would use an opportunity like this to completely crush him. “We’re going to loosen you up.”

Several soju shots later, he’s buzzed but behaving more like himself. Grandmother shoves him into the bathroom so he can brush his teeth. Before he knows it, she’s shoved him into a taxi before he can second guess his decision to audition. The young man nervously pops mints into his mouth the entire ride there, and runs over the advice some of his more successful friends gave. They encouraged him to be sensual; everyone knows that sex sells. But loosened with soju, his gauge for what’s sensual and what’s borderline pornography may have been skewed.

Sunggyu enters the building with his stiff soldier walk courtesy of his leg braces. He’s relieved to finally be off crutches, even if he still needed the braces for support. Technically, he should only be taking the braces off if he’s bathing or at the direction of his physical therapist. It took endless pleading for his doctor to sigh and say that if he really needed them off, he shouldn’t be doing anything strenuous and it could only be for short periods of time. Listen to your body. Use good judgement. Call if anything starts hurting where it shouldn’t. All in all, it was a small step in the right direction. He’s gotten accustomed to tweaking his daily life to accommodate for his injury, even using the dreaded crutches when he’s overworked himself. Buildings without escalators and elevators were his worst nightmare, but thankfully this place was more than equipped to handle someone in a situation like his own.

Maybe it’s the alcohol speaking, but he is feeling optimistic.

Sunggyu greets the casting director in person for the first time, breathless from waves of nervous jitters that his few shots of soju couldn’t calm. The director gives a curious glance to the contraption on his potential model’s legs. “Oh, these are removable! I promise they won’t interfere with anything,” says Sunggyu, giving his legs a hearty pat. “They’re why I thought I’d do better with the cocktail concept, b-but I’m also a fan of irony and would’ve been just as happy doing the sports concept!”

Perhaps the director picks up on his nervousness because he asks: “Have you ever done modeling before? Online? As a kid, maybe?”

Sunggyu shakes his head and his eyes widen with a nervous, youthful energy. “No sir, only for my mother’s holiday cards!” he says. He mentally kicks himself for being so honest, but the director laughs. Good laugh? Bad laugh? Mean laugh? Sunggyu isn’t sure, but the man smiles and tells him that somebody will style him soon.

Soon meant thirty seconds before he’s sat in a chair and being prepped for makeup application. The artist slaps a sheet mask on him -- supposedly, it allowed foundation to glide on smoother and would give him a natural glow impossible to replicate with photoshop. Sunggyu chatters away, although he tries not to move his lips too much. The essence dribbles into his mouth and he suppresses a slight gag, as not all things that smell like green tea taste like green tea. “You know, my grandmother always sends me to the mall just to get free samples of these,” he says. “I never really use them, but--!”

It seems the artist isn’t the talkative type. Her irritated sigh was a signal for him to shut up.

He just hopes he didn’t realize too late -- what if she goes around calling him a nuisance? The young man twiddles his thumbs as she peels the mask off, pats where his cheeks were previously flaky from the winter cold, and pumps her hands full of primer. The following minutes, he feels her painting on a new layer identity. It makes him squirm; what about him needs editing, needs fixing with a painterly hand? The artist pays careful attention to his nose and eyes, arguably his most charming features.

He thinks his eye shadow makes him looks like a raccoon when she’s done (did she do this on purpose?), but he has the sense not to point that out. Sunggyu laughs from excitement and slight soju buzz, then grins at the mirror.

“Don’t smile like that,” says the woman. “Unless you’re trying to look goofy, just keep your mouth shut. The foundation is going to crease in your laugh lines.” Sunggyu looks around in surprise. Is she allowed to say stuff like that? Oh gosh, what if there are more like her? He wants to say something -- oh, he wants to throw her poorly tattooed eyebrows into her face -- but he hears his grandmother’s words ringing in his head: “Suck it up, buttercup.”

He doesn’t say anything, but his shocked expression says it all. The hairstylist coming with a curling iron and hairspray sees the look on his face, rolls her eyes in the direction of the makeup artist, and asks if she said something “stupid again”. All Sunggyu can think about is how the backstage drama was more intense than what was ever shown on Korea’s Next Top Model.

This was his chance to get revenge -- report her to a superior or even get her fired. The tough decision is reflected through his eyes.

“Look, everyone around here knows that Nam Hyojoo is a bitch,” whispers the hair stylist. “I can tell just by the look on your face that she said something. What was it?”

“Oh, nothing!” he lies. “I’m just shocked at how good I look -- my grandma would be jealous of this eyeliner job!” Sunggyu looks down at his small backpack of belongings resting against the chair, then fumbles inside while the curling iron heats up. “Actually, do you think I could leave this here for the lady who did my makeup?” he says, holding out a plastic container of pork and rice. “Uh, she might be having a rough day, you know? I only have this one, so you’re welcome to share it--”

The casting director brushes by him once more, then claps him on the shoulder. “Your time-slot is up soon! You have to get changed A.S.A.P.”

Sunggyu wonders if he heard them talking, but the man is gone in a hectic flurry of backstage activity. Everything was so quick, so fierce, so cut-throat with not only the models, but the staff as well. His loose tongue could get him into trouble if he’s not careful, but he’s being ushered into the fitting rooms before he can dwell on the matter. One minute his mind is worried about making a good impression, then the next he’s naked in front of strangers. He tries focusing on slipping on his clothes without messing up his look rather than standing around in his underwear, but maybe that’s something about modeling he just won’t ever get used to.

__________________________

The first two shots are so unflattering, the photographer lowers his lens. He tells him to take a deep breath and be himself. But doesn’t everyone know by now that himself is the person he least wants to be? Sunggyu takes a deep breath, but the nerves have finally broken through his light buzz. “It’s a little hot in here,” he says, wheezing slightly. The gold watch on his wrist catches the lighting, twinkling bright as his fingers loop around his tie. The silk loosens around his neck in a breezy, careless way contrasting with the flustered look on his face.

SNAP. SNAP. SNAP.

They were starting again already? He doesn’t have time to become one of the effortlessly beautiful models waiting for their ten minute session as well. He can’t compare to them -- no amount of makeup or styling is going to hide that.

He is goofy. But, is that such a bad thing?

The pictures look better when he doesn’t try being someone he’s not. The nervous flush, the parting of lips to catch a glimpse of bunny teeth, the surprised expression like he’d been caught in the middle of a crime -- it was both his greatest strength and weakness. He plays the befuddled playboy in way over his head much better than refined gentleman. “There you go,” said the photographer. “Grab your tie again -- like you mean it!”

Just be himself, huh?

Sunggyu leans against the sofa and slouches, as though someone had thrown him back against it. He spreads his legs apart, pushes his hips forward, and relaxes his wrists so the champagne glass tilts to the right. Once more, he gives his tie a pull like he just can’t wait to get it off. The smooth seams on his dress pants are the gateway for the rest of the outfit -- a road leading up to the elegant rumpling of his shirt from the way he’s sitting.

SNAP. SNAP. SNAP.

He doesn’t do a forced grin, but a curious half-smile.

SNAP.SNAP.SNAP.SNAP.SNAP.

That’s the look that captures his personality, from his front teeth to his expression. It’s him being honest, no emotion able to hide behind quirks in his smile and brow. It seems that he plays the befuddled playboy better than the refined gentleman, and that’s okay.

“Alright kid, we’re going to mess you up a bit,” says the photographer. “Tone it down a little now, so it stays classy.” The photographer tells him not to move, then a makeup artist is sent rushing to press a stamp against his cheek. It’s a bright red kiss mark, still glistening and wet. The artist messes up his hair and the moment they’ve vanished, he knows there’s no time before the cameraman takes his last shots.

Sunggyu puts down the champagne glass and leans forward on the coffee table. He rests his elbows against the table and he holds up his hands, positioning them as if he’s about to undo his watch. Without meaning to, his shoulders lift and the whole motion of the shot is pushing forward -- fluid, energetic, active. He’s going right for the audience like when he’s engaging with someone in conversation, putting his entire body into whatever story he’s telling. The way he tilts his head to the side, winks like he’s just told the cheesiest pick-up line of his life, and scrunches his nose meld together is him. He’s not perfect and by gosh, there’s no chance in hell he’s ever going to hide it. But love it or hate it, that’s what makes him unique. He forgoes the cheesy wink for an eye-smile and remembers not to crumple the rest of his face for once, to which the cameras rattle off with their final photos. Through the lens, it’s as though he’s saying: “Yes sir, do I sure have a secret to tell you.”

The secret is that he’s just an average guy, but in a thousand dollar clothes that transported him into a fantasy world. He doesn’t need to be someone he’s not -- average, goofy, or gorgeous, he’s full of adventure.

That’s the story he told with his energy. It certainly mirrors how he’d felt about the whole day.

“You’re all set, we’ll let you know the results when they’re out,” says the photographer. “Next!”

Just wait until grandma heard about this!

#rkct #WITH NINE MINUTES TO SPARE!!!!#solo #EDIT AT 12:06 TO ADD WORD COUNT TO TAGS #wc:2401 #samsung c&t

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