DPGR 182

Today’s concept for Jiho was fresh and bright. The clothes he wore were sporty style, and his role was that of a cheerful college student.

Most of the outfits for the new casual line were like that. They were designed to target late teens to early twenties.

When Jiho had looked through the outfits he would wear today, he imagined Dojin wearing them and posing in front of the camera.

“Pff….”

He suddenly laughed. From the start, those clothes didn’t fit Dojin’s body, and even if he somehow put them on, there would be nothing fresh or bright about it.

“Hyung, how could you wear those and be a model?”

“Why, I can do it. Want me to show you? Hand me that jacket.”

“Hahaha! No way!”

Jiho laughed loudly as he bickered with Dojin. His big eyes curved brightly, the blush from the makeup puffed his cheeks, dimples showed, and his lips parted to reveal neat teeth.

“Wow….”

Hanseok, who was watching, let out an unconscious sigh and clicked the camera shutter in rapid fire. The laughing Jiho in the viewfinder was exactly the casual line model he had pictured.

“This is perfect! That’s exactly the feeling!”

“Huh, what?”

Dohee, standing nearby, must have felt the same. She suddenly raised her voice and organized the scene.

“Restart the shoot! Baek Dojin, you step out now! Jiho, just be natural like before! Smile! Laugh a lot!”

“…? Y-yes!”

The shoot resumed. Jiho was still nervous, but he focused on Dojin standing by the camera and somehow endured the awkward modeling.

Thinking of Dojin’s words and picturing him wearing these clothes and posing, Jiho’s expression softened and he smiled naturally.

“Good! Perfect! That’s it! One more! Turn your head slightly left…! Great! Now look at the camera and laugh! Perfect! Bigger! That’s it!”

Though still hesitant, Jiho slowly gained confidence under Hanseok and Dohee’s endless praise. Remembering the countless reference photos they had sent him a week ago made moving his body easier.

“Good! Change outfits and let’s go again! So good! The best! Keep it up just like this!”

Jiho changed into several outfits, fixed his makeup and hair, and acted playfully in front of the camera.

For a first shoot, it went smoothly. As the sky darkened, the shoot wrapped up in a warm atmosphere.

“You worked so hard today, Jiho-ssi. You were amazing. Who knew you had such talent?”

“T-talent might be too much….”

“No, real talent! Do you know how hard it is for an ordinary person to stand in front of a big camera like this and do that well? Most people couldn’t.”

Hanseok’s praise grew more and more excessive. Jiho no longer knew if he meant it sincerely or not.

While Jiho was confused, the set was cleaned up. Dojin wiped the sweat beading on Jiho’s forehead with a tissue.

“Is it tiring? Are you okay? You must be hungry, let’s eat first. What do you want?”

“I’ll eat anything. What about you, hyung?”

“Me too. Let’s check nearby for a good place.”

“Yes!”

While the two talked, Dohee, who was supervising the outfit cleanup, ran over with a bag.

“Honey! Don’t run! It’s dangerous!”

“Hey, move for a second.”

Pushing aside Hanseok who worried for her, Dohee pulled an envelope from the bag and held it out to Jiho.

“Here! This is the promised pay!”

“H-huh?”

“We should buy you dinner, but cleanup will take too long. So I put in plenty to cover your meal too. There’s a good beef place nearby, so eat meat. Got it?”

“No, no, it’s fine….”

“Shh! When an adult gives something, you just say thank you. If you start working without pay, only bad people will come to you later, understand?”

“Uh….”

“She’s right, take it Jiho-ssi. You worked hard all day.”

Saying it was proper compensation, Dohee and Hanseok insisted. Jiho carefully accepted the envelope.

“Thank you! This is the first time I earned money from working besides guiding….”

“Really? I should have given you more then.”

“No, this is already a lot! Thank you so much!”

Just like he said, this was Jiho’s first paycheck. Even though his pay as a guide had been dozens of times more, the envelope in his hand felt more meaningful.

“Hyung, I earned this much! Today I’ll buy you dinner. Do you want beef?”

Seeing Jiho smile brightly with pride, Dojin felt pleased. He nodded and wrapped his arm around Jiho’s waist, pulling him close.

“Alright, let’s go eat the beef Jiho’s buying.”

***

Jiho’s photos were processed, and only one A-cut was released early on SNS and the homepage.

dodo_official

(Photo with the launch date on it)

We’ll see you soon~

jihi3539

Hey Dodo has new stuff coming out @sto_115 reply

hyelii_

@jung0923 Jung look, the photoshoot is gorgeous lol Isn’t this your type? reply

jung0923

@hyelii_ Holy what? Idol?? Never seen this face before, is he a rookie??? reply

nana_20

This line is so pretty♥♥ But who’s the model here?? I can’t stop staringㅋㅋ큐ㅠㅠ reply

News that Dohee’s brand was launching a casual line stirred people up. On top of that, attention gathered around the fresh and cheerful teaser photoshoot.

In the photoshoot, Jiho wore a white t-shirt with ripped jeans at the knees, and a denim jacket with the brand’s logo embroidered as an accent.

On his head was a bright yellow beanie, and his wavy bangs fell naturally, covering his pale forehead.

White and blue paint was casually brushed on his cheeks. His big eyes folded into half-moons, hiding half of his caramel-colored irises.

He held a skateboard under his arm and smiled shyly, looking like a boy embarrassed in front of a crush.

love_soso

Feels like I dated him in school but had to break up because of life problemsㅠㅠ reply

hahaha_jin

Could you share your ex’s in-heart account? Or at least his name… urgentㅠㅠㅠ reply

love_soso

Omg sorry it was my imagination,,, I’ve never seen him before;; reply

12k3_ill45

Hahaha reply

suhee.5

Hahaha hahahaha reply

iiiliii_111

Hahahaha hahaha hahahaha reply

Someone left a comment saying they were tricked into a false memory of a school romance that never existed. From there, Jiho unexpectedly earned the nickname “Dodo brand’s first love boy.”

On top of that, some of Dojin’s fans who recognized Jiho spread the word, and his identity was revealed.

With his pretty face and atmosphere in the photoshoot, plus his history of fighting in the Final Dungeon, Jiho quickly became famous.

“Excuse me, are you the one from the Dodo photoshoot?”

“Huh? Y-yes?”

“I-I’m a fan…!”

“Ah, no, um…!”

Jiho’s face began to be recognized not only by Dojin’s fans but by the general public. When someone on the street who called themselves a fan even gave him a gift, Jiho felt both awkward and proud.

“Hyung, I think I’ve really become famous now.”

“…Do you like it?”

“Hmm, I’m not sure. I feel embarrassed, but also amazed. Anyway, I don’t hate it.”

“……”

“But hyung, why do you look like that?”

“…It’s nothing.”

Watching his lover start to attract the attention of women left Dojin feeling miserable. Jiho caught the sulky look that always showed up when Dojin got jealous, and burst into laughter, clutching his stomach.

“Hyung! You’re jealous right now? You’re sulking?”

“That’s not it….”

“Haha! You are sulking, right?”

“I said no….”

“Haha!”

Jiho laughed, it was bright enough to lift anyone’s mood. Dojin’s lips curved despite himself.

“Ha….”

“You were jealous, right? Yeah?”

“…Yeah. I was.”

“Hee, then should I start wearing a mask and a hat outside? So no one can recognize me, okay?”

Jiho’s smiling face looked like a mischievous boy finding a chance to tease. Dojin shook his head at the lover who seemed eager to make fun of him.

“No, it’s fine.”

“Huh? Why? If this happens again, you’ll get jealous.”

“That’s that, this is this.”

“……?”

Dojin held Jiho’s hand. He rubbed the back of it slowly with his thumb and said,

“You’re happy, so that’s enough.”

“……!”

“But I think you’ll have to take care of hyung’s jealousy.”

Dojin’s eyes curved. His dark gaze shone intensely.

Jiho knew exactly what that look meant. The desire gleaming in his black eyes was something very familiar.

“…W-what do you mean, how…?”

He asked while pretending not to know, but his reddened cheeks gave him away.

“Well, maybe we should talk about how once we get home?”

Dojin’s smile deepened. His thick fingers slid between Jiho’s slender ones.

Their interlocked hands fit together without a gap. Slowly, their warmth evened out to the same temperature.

“Shall we go?”

He whispered in a low voice, Jiho shyly nodded. Forgetting they had planned to stop by the market, the two walked close together, shoulders touching.

The warmth of their hands, the faint rustle of brushing clothes, the heat spreading across their cheeks, and the occasional laughter. Everything was perfect. The new fame had no effect on them at all.

Beneath the shining sun, they walked filled with contentment. As always, their ordinary daily life continued.

For a long time, maybe forever.

Side Story (End)