Chapter 49
Everyone inside the studio was waiting.
Rumors about the sudden schedule change rippled through the staff in hushed whispers, kept low only because Mr. Jang had strictly ordered them to keep quiet.
More than the delay, curiosity drove the tension in the room. They all wanted to see the emergency replacement.
Given the scale of the international layout, the crew expected a massive industry name, a top-tier professional, or perhaps a wealthy chaebol heir with connections.
Five minutes ticked by. The heavy studio door rattled, and the production assistant who had been sent to fetch the new model finally slipped back into the room.
She poked her head through the gap.
Every face on set turned toward her instantly.
"He's here…"
The pronoun caught everyone off guard. Confusion rippled through the line of crew members, a few techs raising their brows in surprise.
"Did she just say He?"
"Is the replacement a guy?"
The assistant stepped fully inside, pushing the door wide to clear the path.
Slowly, a striking figure stepped into the framing of the doorway.
The entire room went completely still. Mouths fell open, and eyes widened in pure shock at the sight of him.
Yeonho stood under the frame, wearing an elegant, modern-day corset featuring a built-in choker and a plunging V-line that fully exposed his collarbone and pale chest.
The trousers were incredibly fitted, molding the fabric perfectly to the sharp lines of his waist and hips.
Even the over-the-knee high-heeled boots, pieces originally designed for the female layout, hugged his legs flawlessly, looking as though they had been custom-tailored for his frame.
The entire outfit was a perfect fit.
Yeonho's own styling skills had created a flawless combination, but he hadn't stopped there.
He had used those brief five minutes alone in the dressing room to elevate his makeup, making his features look way more unrealistically pretty than before.
"An angel…" someone whispered.
"No, he looks like a dark angel."
"So pretty… and he's a guy."
"He looks unreal."
"He's way prettier than any actress or model I've seen."
Collective murmurs broke out across the floor. No one could look away from Yeonho, their eyes glued to his face, clothing and posture.
Standing out on the main stage under the spotlight, Min-Hyuk watched the entrance, his dark gaze burning right through Yeonho from across the room.
Yeonho strode forward with absolute elegance and poise.
Now that he was in the room, the familiar urge to show off his skill took over, making his confidence spike.
As Yeonho approached the edge of the set stage, Mr. Jang clapped his hands loudly, snapping the crew's attention away from the visual.
"Alright, everyone. This is our replacement model, Mr. Choi Yeonho!"
The announcement made eyes go even wider.
A few women gasped, while the technical directors and crew members stood completely dumbfounded.
"I need everyone to act professional," Mr. Jang yelled, his sharp tone carrying a hidden warning that made the entire crew nod in unison.
"Don't do anything to delay our session any longer. Remember all my instructions. Do you understand!"
Min-Hyuk nodded along with the rest of the staff, completely clueless about the double meaning behind Mr. Jang's strict warning.
The photographer suddenly pushed himself up from his seat and shouted for the shoot to begin. The crew scrambled into motion, executing a series of rapid adjustments to match the new mood.
The overhead lights dimmed lower. The backdrop illumination shifted, bleeding into a subtle, deep purple hue.
Across the room, the digital monitors and computer setups hummed to life, ready to display the live photo feed.
Assistants worked quickly around the stage, changing the ambient props to lock in the atmosphere Yeonho's look demanded.
Once the set was clear, the photographer took his position behind the tripod, adjusting his camera and swapping the lenses.
"We'll do a solo shot for Mr. Choi first. Mr. Kang, please wait on the side. I'll be quick."
Min-Hyuk moved over to a seat on the perimeter, choosing a spot that gave him an unobstructed, great view of Yeonho, who was now standing directly in the center of the stage.
Fascinated by the new model's presence, the photographer immediately began the session, his camera flashing in a rapid, steady rhythm.
In an instant, Yeonho's expression shifted, turning smooth and blank like still water.
Yet his piercing, bright blue eyes remained incredibly intense, shining like the ocean at night under the studio canopy.
Every single time the strobe light flashed, the reflection in his blue eyes made them look even more beautiful.
Even though his facial features were completely relaxed, the subtle arc of his brow and his slightly parted lips made him look extremely alluring and sexy.
He moved through a succession of positions, transitioning from simple, natural angles to bold, inviting poses that held the room captive.
The crew watched in heavy silence, though a few stylists continued to whisper to each other in the back.
They all knew Yeonho's terrible reputation outside the studio. But right now, watching him command the light, they were slowly forgetting all about the gossip.
With every ticking second that passed, their gaze remained locked onto him.
Min-Hyuk watched closely from the sidelines, his eyes scanning Yeonho from head to toe.
When Yeonho leaned down slightly to change his angle, Min-Hyuk's eyes instantly locked onto the pale, half-exposed skin of his chest.
Whenever Yeonho purposely parted his lips or pursed them for the lens, Min-Hyuk stared intently at his mouth, unable to look away.
Everything about Yeonho's presence screamed angel in disguise, and the dark tailoring completed the illusion perfectly.
The photographer called out a few structure changes, and Yeonho executed every single pose without a problem, moving like a seasoned pro.
After a few final shots, the solo portion was done.
The makeup artists and standby stylists quickly rushed onto the stage to do a retouch.
Up close, they almost grew distracted by the details of Yeonho's face, but they forced themselves to focus on the work.
"I'll make your hair a bit more wavy, please excuse me."
The hair stylist worked quickly, holding a hair spray in one hand and a comb in the other as she fixed the blond strands.
"I'm gonna put on some lipgloss, Mr. Choi. Please stay still," the makeup artist murmured, leaning in with a small brush.
The wardrobe coordinator stepped up behind him. "I think we should tighten the corset, Mr. Choi. We need to emphasize your body shape."
"Yeah, I know it's a little bit loose," Yeonho replied.
The stylist nodded. Stepping directly behind him, she grabbed the strings and laces of the corset, pulling them even tighter to narrow his waist.
After two minutes of rapid adjustments, the crew stepped away from the stage just as Min-Hyuk approached.
"Let's start!" the photographer called out, adjusting his viewfinder.
"Now, the two of you, make yourselves shine. Do what you think is best. Bring out your talent. I'll be taking the shots, and you two do the magic."
"Wait! Put a chair or a couch right here," Yeonho suggested, pointing to the center of the platform.
A few male crew members moved quickly, lifting a heavy wooden couch onto the stage.
The design was antique and artistic, looking like something out of a medieval painting.
Yeonho turned to the photographer.
"As a stylist, the concept I imagined for this clothing line is a devil, a dark angel, or even an incubus, while Min-Hyuk plays the vampire. I styled Min-Hyuk's wardrobe so the two concepts would fit together perfectly."
"You're right," the photographer chuckled, looking thoroughly impressed by Yeonho's vision.
"You're incredible at this. Where have you been hiding? You're a high-level stylist and a next-level model. You actually know how to reimagine a concept from the ground up."
Mr. Jang stood nearby with his arms crossed, silently agreeing. The raw talent standing on the stage couldn't be ignored; Yeonho handled the production details like someone who had been working in high fashion for years.
It was the same realization for everyone else in the room.
They had never expected this level of competence from someone with Yeonho's reputation.
"Okay, let's start right now," the photographer said, raising the camera back to his face.
"We shouldn't waste any more time when the light is perfectly right in my lens."
Standing close together in the center of the set, Yeonho tucked a strand of hair behind his right ear, clearing his profile so the camera angle could catch his face better.
"Sit on the couch, Min-Hyuk. Let me do something."
"Sure," Min-Hyuk replied, his voice dropping slightly. "Let's see what you've got."
"Are you challenging me?"
"Maybe I am. Model to model. Let's take this seriously."
Min-Hyuk sat down on the antique couch, leaning back against the upholstered armrest on one end.
"Make sure you won't get eaten by my spotlight, Yeonho."
"I could say the exact same thing to you."
Yeonho smirked. Then, letting his expression relax into a cold look, he crawled directly onto the couch and climbed on top of Min-Hyuk's lap.
Min-Hyuk's professional side locked in instantly. Sensing Yeonho's sudden approach, he reached up and pinched a strand of Yeonho's blond hair, looking up into his eyes with a heavy, yearning expression.
'He looks like he wants to eat me up…'
Min-Hyuk's face was so annoyingly sexy up close that Yeonho felt a thrill run through his chest, nearly breaking his focus.
But Min-Hyuk was completely serious about it, so Yeonho matched his professionalism.
He refused to let Min-Hyuk steal the spotlight; he wanted the camera's focus entirely divided between the two of them.
The photographer worked rapidly, the strobe lights flashing across the set in a fast-paced rhythm.
Yeonho hovered over Min-Hyuk's frame. They exchanged a look so intense that every assistant in the studio froze, completely captivated by the visual.
"Hold that exact position!" the photographer shouted.
After a few more flashes, Yeonho shifted.
He slid off Min-Hyuk's lap and sat on the elevated edge of the couch, crossing his legs while resting his left hand heavily on Min-Hyuk's shoulder.
Min-Hyuk remained on the main cushion beside him.
The height difference was massive now, with Yeonho perched high on the wooden frame while Min-Hyuk sat lower.
Both of them turned their heads toward the lens, staring straight into the camera with an intense gaze.
"Good! That's good! Keep that for a second, then change positions again."
The photographer stepped closer to the platform, fully focused.
Just like him, everyone in the room was completely locked onto the heavy tension and undeniable chemistry between the two men.
They changed positions again. Both of them stood up, with Min-Hyuk stepping directly behind Yeonho, pressing his chest against Yeonho's back while wrapping one long arm around his waist.
Next, they stood side by side.
After that Yeonho turned to face Min-Hyuk completely, hiding his chest from the camera so only his back and the tight laces of the corset were visible to the crew. He placed his open palm directly against Min-Hyuk's chest.
The staging looked incredibly intimate on its own, but Min-Hyuk pushed it further. He subtly tilted his head down, resting his lips right against the bare skin of Yeonho's nape.
"That's perfect! This looks straight out of a movie sequence!" the photographer yelled, snapping shot after shot.
"Keep that pose! I'll take a few from different angles."
An hour later, the session finally concluded.
Mr. Jang walked onto the set, loudly praising the entire crew, specifically highlighting Yeonho's work for styling Min-Hyuk and stepping in as the replacement model.
"Let's wrap it up and call it a day, everyone. We can go grab drinks after this. It's on me!"
The staff cheered loudly, finally breathing a sigh of relief after hours of heavy tension.
The entire crew began moving around the studio, the vibe instantly turning bright and loud.
Min-Hyuk stayed behind on the main floor, getting pulled into a conversation with the production techs and crew members.
Yeonho bowed politely to Mr. Jang, the photographer, and the nearby assistants before turning to walk away.
To his surprise, none of them looked at him with those familiar, hateful eyes this time.
The usual judgment was completely missing.
He walked out of the main studio alone, heading down the quiet hallway toward the dressing room where Carl was waiting.
As he neared the door, the distinct, heavy click of footsteps echoed on the floor behind him.
'Who's following me... Sounds like they're in hurry...'
Before he could turn around, a hand clamped around his arm.
The grip was incredibly tight, pinching into his skin so hard that Yeonho winced in pain.
He didn't even have time to realize he had been shoved into an entirely different, empty dark room before his feet slipped, and he was thrown hard onto the floor.
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