FLASHES. |Hwang Hyunjin

Six.

"Can we exclude the camera flashes?" She heard Hyunjin says. Reine felt movement ahead of her that made her slowly open her eyes. Her eyes fell on Hyunjin's back which was very closely facing her, that if she just tilted her head forward, she would lean on him. "She's got a headache because I didn't stop talking during our ride here and while getting ready." Hyunjin lied.

He was the most silent person during the whole day. He didn't talk to her or look in her direction unless she provoked him.

"Hyunjin!" The director sighed. "You know it has to t-"

"Please!" Hyunjin cut his words. He bowed down to the director formally. He was apologizing for the distress he didn't even make.

"Fine." The man sighed again. "How about we start with the couple shots instead of the single?"

"That would be better." Hyunjin said and then thanked the man.

The director called for his assistants to adjust the lighting to be effective without flashes and to prepare the set for the couple shots. Reine's body relaxed and she gulped the lump in her throat. Hyunjin was about to walk away but stopped once he felt a light weight on his upper back. That was Reine's head. She rested it on his back and closed her eyes to collect herself. Hyunjin decided to let her be so, he stayed rooted in his place. Neither of them spoke a word and they stayed like that in complete silence till Hyunjin felt the weight gets off of his back, just then, he walked away.

Minutes after that, the set was ready and the two models were in the middle of it, taking various positions as professional as they were. From the friendly, passing by the playful and to the sexy ones. From set to another, and from outfit to another.

Every time Reine wanted to change, Hyunjin would find an excuse to follow her instead of taking his single shots. The director was getting irritated with him. Hyunjin would walk inside the room first and check it before letting Reine in and then he leaves. Reine would change and walk out to find Hyunjin guarding her room. He didn't say a word to her and she couldn't even thank him for what he was doing.

It was past two in the morning when they finally were done and ready to go home. The whole staff was tired from taking longer than they planned. She heard some of them whining here and there about how Hyunjin pissed the director who thought he was arrogant because of how successful he was and who his dad was and all. They blamed him for what she had caused.

Heavily, she walked to the van that would take them home. She hopped in to find Hyunjin already inside, with eyes closed and head rested on the window. He was wrapping himself with a light blanket and his earphones tucked in. The ride home was dead silent as no one had the energy to talk.

Once they arrived, both thanked their managers and left the van to walk in the mansion. Both declined Yumi's offer of making them food. Hyunjin almost scolded the woman for being awake that late. They silently went upstairs to their rooms. Before they walk in and slam their doors, Hyunjin talked.

"Is it okay if I use the shower first?" He asked.

"Uh! Sure."

"I won't take long. You can head there in thirty minutes."

Reine just nodded and walked inside her room then slammed her door closed. Straight to her bed, she dropped herself and curled her body into a ball, hugging her legs. She let out a long sigh that she kept for long.

The words she heard from the staff about Hyunjin kept replaying in her mind. Once before, she was the one to say those words about him. Ten years ago. After their very first shooting together.

Hyunjin was the handsome boy, the only son of one of the most known designers in South Korea. He was born with a silver spoon. He didn't need to work hard for what he had. The way was open for him since the day he said he wanted to be a model. That's why he was the main model for his dad's collection even when he never modeled before.

Reine never had support and started her career on her own. It was her dream since she was a kid that she had to watch what she eats and drinks. She had to keep her skin soft and intact. She made sure her hair stays as healthy as possible.

Reine was a beautiful kid but she didn't want to depend on her beauty so, she started taking training secretly in modeling. She would save up her very little pocket money to have her tutorials behind her parents' backs. And once she was older, she started working part-time jobs.

Unlike Hyunjin.

Reine huffed and pushed herself up, still hugging her knees but sitting. She remembered how Hyunjin covered her eyes earlier. How he helped her in her panic attack. And that wasn't the first time.

He saved her before.

Ten years ago.