DPGR 181

A few days after Ihyun had left, Jiho’s phone buzzed while he was preparing lunch in place of Dojin, who was focused on writing.

“……?”

When he checked, it was a message from Dohee.

Dohee noona

Jiho-ya! I’m really really really sorry, but remember what Ihyun’s dad and I said before….

Dohee noona

I know this kind of talk might feel burdensome, but I think I can only let it go if I hear your answer directlyㅠㅠ

Dohee had formally proposed that Jiho try working as a model. From her words, it seemed she had nagged Dojin plenty, but since he hadn’t passed it along, she decided to contact Jiho directly.

She even specified the pay, benefits, and studio conditions if he accepted the job.

‘She really wants to use me as a model? But why…?’

Jiho didn’t understand Dohee’s eagerness. In his mind, models were supposed to be tall, with long arms and legs, a posture like a mannequin, and a charisma or unique aura that dominated the room.

“Mmm….”

He lifted his head and checked his reflection in the veranda window. He had grown taller, but only to average height. His limbs weren’t especially long, and his posture wasn’t straight like a model’s.

His face was rather plain, far from charismatic, and his look gave off only a cute impression.

Jiho wondered if maybe, in the eyes of others, he looked different.

‘Model, model….’

He had never seriously thought about it. When Hanseok and Dohee had mentioned it last time, it was the same. Honestly, he thought they were either joking or just settling for him because they couldn’t find the model they wanted.

But since days had passed and Dohee still reached out personally to ask, it seemed she was serious.

Since the other side was serious, it was right for him to think seriously too.

“Hmmm….”

“Jiho-ya? What’s wrong?”

Just then, Dojin came out of the room and approached him. Jiho quickly turned and explained everything.

“Noona contacted you directly? Ha… sorry. I’ll talk to her again.”

“No, no! I’m fine. Really.”

“……”

Dojin narrowed his eyes, unsure if Jiho meant it or if he was just being polite.

Jiho waved his hands as he spoke his mind.

“Actually, now that I think about it, it might be fun to experience once.”

“…You mean you want to try it? Model work?”

“Yes….”

Once he said it out loud, his decision became clearer. If it had been about walking a runway in front of a crowd, he would have refused immediately. But this was just a photoshoot, standing in front of a small group of staff.

Realizing Jiho was serious, Dojin looked worried. He even pulled out his phone and showed Jiho the SNS feed of Dohee’s brand.

“If you accept, your face will be everywhere. Are you okay with that?”

The account had about fifty thousand followers, a lot for a personal brand. Every time new products or photoshoots were posted, they spread quickly across fashion communities.

Jiho wasn’t unaware of that. But it didn’t bother him. What bothered him more was Dojin’s reaction.

“…Hyung, do you not want me to do this?”

That question left Dojin speechless. After a moment of thought, he answered carefully.

“It’s not that I don’t want you to. I’m worried.”

Already, Jiho got attention and sometimes even appeared in online sighting posts because of Dojin. Many people viewed him favorably as Dojin’s guide and one of the heroes who had saved the world, but not everyone did.

Some people commented on him without malice, others with malice pointed fingers.

If things were like this already, becoming a model would mean even more exposure, more gossip, and more criticism.

When Dojin explained this worry, Jiho only shrugged.

“That’s fine. To me, other people’s words–especially from strangers I don’t even know–don’t have any value.”

As long as he had the people around him, that was enough. He might notice others’ views, but he wasn’t sensitive enough to be hurt deeply by them.

“And it’s true that I think modeling sounds fun.”

He had only thought of taking photos as a hobby, never what it would feel like to be the subject. He admitted his curiosity openly.

“…When did our Jiho grow up like this?”

“Huh? I-I was already grown up when I met you, hyung…?”

Jiho protested, but Dojin barely heard it. His chest tightened at the sight of Jiho’s confidence.

“Ah! Hyung!”

Dojin pulled him into a hug and kissed his face all over. Jiho was so admirable and lovable he couldn’t hold it in.

“Yeah, you should try everything you’re curious about. Jiho, do whatever you want. Hyung will support you. I’ll do everything for you.”

“No, w-wait…!”

Sudden kisses poured down without pause. Jiho didn’t know what part of the conversation had moved him this much. Swallowing his laughter, he let Dojin smother his face with a flood of kisses.

***

Once Jiho accepted the modeling job, things moved quickly. From booking the studio to gathering staff, checking the sample clothes, and setting the photoshoot concept, everything was arranged in just a week.

“Welcome, Jiho-ya!”

Finally, on the day of the shoot. Holding Dojin’s hand and looking nervous, Jiho entered. Dohee greeted him with a wide smile.

“You came, thank you. Wasn’t it hard to get here?”

“N-no, it was fine. Hyung drove me….”

“Ah, Baek Dojin. You came too?”

“…Isn’t that obvious?”

Dohee spoke crookedly, as if she only just noticed Dojin, and Dojin showed his disbelief. But she didn’t care.

“Jiho, go over there and change into the outfit I selected and get your makeup done first. Baek Dojin, you… just sit and watch or something. Hmph.”

“Ha….”

Right now, Dohee’s feelings toward Dojin weren’t good. She had begged him several times to properly pass her words on to Jiho, and though he had answered that he would, she later found out he hadn’t even brought it up to Jiho.

She had only asked him to at least ask once. That ungrateful brat.

‘I doted on him so much when he was young.’

Dohee scoffed, she turned back to Jiho and smiled brightly. She put snacks she had personally prepared into his hands and went back to the set.

“Looks like noona is angry at you. Did you two fight?”

“…Who knows.”

Dojin could guess the reason for her behavior, but he couldn’t tell Jiho that she was acting childish at her age, so he dodged the question.

“They say moods swing a lot during early pregnancy.”

“Ah! I see.”

Naive Jiho easily believed the excuse. Before he could ask more questions, Dojin steered his attention elsewhere.

“Let’s go. You need to change clothes and get makeup done.”

“Yes!”

The studio Dohee had rented was bigger than expected. Jiho’s eyes shone as he looked around like a child on a field trip. That didn’t change even after he changed clothes and got makeup done.

“Wow! Jiho-ssi, you look so good! It suits you! Alright, stand there now! This first part is just a test, so don’t be too nervous!”

“Y-yes…!”

Before he knew it, he was standing alone under the lights. A professional camera, so different from his own, captured him.

Its weight made everything feel real. Standing in front of the camera, the nerves he thought he could handle spiked, stiffening his face and limbs.

‘T-this feels heavier than I thought….’

Standing under the lights, the large studio made him more tense. On top of that, he became conscious of the staff he hadn’t noticed earlier. They were all focused on him and waiting to see what he would do.

‘I must have thought about this too lightly.’

Noticing his nervousness, Dohee and Hanseok encouraged him.

“Ah, this is great! You look good! Try to relax your body a little, okay? Just think of it like taking a photo for memory!”

“Yeah, Jiho-ya! Relax and move slowly! It’s fine!”

“O-okay…!”

Stretch your arm, walk slowly, turn your head, and so on. The instructions increased to account for Jiho’s stiff body. He did as told, stretched his arms, walked slowly, and turned his head from side to side.

Even so, his awkward expression didn’t improve. In the end, Hanseok stopped the shoot.

“Let’s take a short break and try again!”

At those words, Jiho’s shoulders drooped. The thought that he had failed to meet their expectations and that he had embarrassed himself in front of Dojin left him downcast.

“Jiho-ya.”

It was Dojin who approached him. He had been watching from outside the set the whole time, and when the shoot was paused, he hurried over.

“Are you okay? You seemed really nervous.”

“Hyung… I looked weird, right?”

“Weird? How?”

“My expression was stiff, and my movements too. I insisted on coming here, but I just embarrassed everyone… sorry….”

“Jiho-ya, look at me.”

Dojin didn’t just say it, he gently cupped Jiho’s cheeks and lifted his face. Jiho’s gaze naturally turned toward him.

“We’re here to experience this, so it doesn’t matter if you don’t do well. Don’t pressure yourself, just think of it casually.”

“…But renting the studio costs money, and the staff are putting in effort… I should get good results.”

Dojin realized where Jiho’s burden came from. But there was nothing he could do. He could say he would cover any costs if the shoot failed, but that wasn’t the reassurance Jiho wanted.

After thinking, he threw out a ridiculous joke.

“If it really doesn’t work, you can quit.”

“What?”

“All that matters is the result. If you say you can’t, then I’ll wear the clothes and be the one-day model.”