"Artist"

Rm - Chapter 4

"Would you like to see my latest work?" he asked while you were staring at the picture. You sensed his gaze, which made you uneasy. As you turned away from the photo, you caught Namjoon looking at you. After a brief eye-lock, you looked back at the photo. "Sure, I'd love to see it," you said, sensing his eagerness to show you.

He led you to a door that opened into a narrow hallway with four doors. He approached the left door and pulled out a key from his pocket to unlock it. "Do you not allow many people in here?" you asked, curious about his secrecy.

As Namjoon turned to face you, he explained that he only allowed his friends to see his work before it was displayed. However, he was showing you his work, and you couldn't help but wonder why. Unaccustomed to male attention, you felt even more intrigued by Namjoon's actions.

He revealed that he needed to show you his work to ask you a question. When you inquired about the question, he insisted you come inside to find out. Despite feeling nervous about being alone with a stranger, you followed Namjoon in.

As he switched on the lights, you saw that the room had black walls lined with photos of men and women posing in modelesque and romantic ways, ready for display. He explained professionally, "This is my new collection, and I want you to model for me. I can show you more of my work at two other studios."

You realized he wanted to show you his work not because he liked you, but because he wanted you to model for him. You were unsure if it was a good idea. Yet, it was your dream to become a model, and here was a handsome, successful man offering you a chance to pursue that dream. You caught yourself overanalyzing why he didn't like you and reminded yourself, "Get your act together and keep things professional."

"So you want me to pose with a guy for photos like these?" you asked, glancing around the room at the photos.

"It depends on what you're comfortable with," he replied. Moving to the opposite side of the room, he added, "I'd like to show you some of my other work and see what you'd like to pose for." After sitting at the small desk in the corner and turning on the computer, he asked, "What do you say? Will you come with me to my other studios?" He leaned back in his seat, looking at you expectantly.

You told Namjoon, glancing at a photo of a handsome man with high cheekbones and a big smile, "It's my dream to become a model. I'll see what you have in mind before I agree to model for you." The man in the photo looked natural, as if he wasn't posing—almost as if he didn't know someone was taking his picture.

Namjoon said, "Let's go!"

We hopped into his luxurious Mercedes SUV and headed toward his other studio. The first few minutes were quiet. Was it awkward for him too? Should I initiate a conversation? Suddenly, Namjoon's deep voice broke the silence, asking if modeling was my dream. His question piqued my curiosity.

I explained that modeling had always appealed to me. I wanted to be the pretty girl in the photo, wearing designer clothes and walking down the runway. I had moved to Los Angeles hoping to pursue my dream, but I was starting to feel like I lacked the right look or talent. I had only been in a few low-paying advertisements. As I spoke, I realized I was oversharing and began to feel uncomfortable, sitting with my legs pointed towards the door and staring out the window.

Namjoon interrupted my thoughts, saying he believed I had the looks for modeling and that he wanted to photograph me. His words left me feeling both surprised and curious.

After a 10-minute ride, we arrived at an industrial building that looked quite different from the previous one. The latter was sleek and modern, more suited for professional artists, while this one resembled an old brick-style industrial building with black-framed windows and doors, reminiscent of a laid-back artist or someone just starting out. You asked Namjoon why the buildings were so different.

"Kim's galleries showcase my professional work, while Arts of Rm is my personal and playful collection," he explained. "It's only accessible during special events or for the elite. Once a month, I hold an event where anyone can view my work. I initially faced resistance from my manager when I started dabbling in this type of art, as he felt it wasn't professional enough for my career. However, I've been pursuing this style of photography since before I became a professional photographer." As Namjoon explained the building on our way to the fourth floor, I was too distracted to appreciate the interior.

"Why are you telling me all of this?" you asked, looking over at him while still in the elevator. "You'll see," he replied, waiting for the doors to open. When they did, we stepped into a dark foyer with two black doors with gold handles. "Why is it called Arts of Rm?" you inquired.

"Because I like art and my friends call me Rm," he said, grabbing the door handle. "Are you ready?" he asked. You nodded, and he opened the doors to a large room that resembled a wide hallway with dark wood floors and brick walls. Soft R&B music played in the background. You noticed paintings lining the walls, five on each side. Namjoon stood by the doors, giving you space to look around. As you examined the pictures, you realized they were photos of different women, some nearly naked or scantily clad. In some photos, you could see their nipples through their shirts or they wore lingerie. Your mouth fell open as you turned to look at Namjoon, who stood there waiting for your reaction.

"Do you want me to do this?" you asked. He responded, "Maybe, if you're comfortable with it. If not, we can do regular photoshoots. These photos here are of nude models or underwear models. I don't see everything, which is why they don't show their front other than their breasts," he explained.

He beckoned you to the doorframe at the end of the hall. You walked over to him, paused for a moment, then continued into the room. The walls were painted red and adorned with portraits of women. Three tables were arranged to seat ten people each. Some women had flowers covering them, some were showing their nipples, and others were posing with men—though not Namjoon's friends, you thought, recalling the one you'd seen earlier.

You asked him if the person was one of his friends.

"No, these are all nude models. It's for a company project, not just for fun," he explained, walking into the room and stopping beside you.

"But I'm not a model," you said. "Why do you want to take pictures of me when it's not even for a job?" Feeling curious but also a bit uneasy, you stepped back and stared at Namjoon.