Ahrin Lee | the hated member

Modelling in Milan | Jeongin pov

I was sprawled out on the couch, halfway paying attention to the sounds of the badminton game winding down when the doorbell rang.I perked up, curious to see who it could be. Chan got up to answer it, and I craned my neck to peek over.

When he opened the door, I nearly sat up straight. Standing there, in front of our villa, was a group of people who looked way too polished to just be dropping by. And right in the middle of them, there was a guy—tall, sharp-looking, like someone who stepped straight out of a magazine. I'd seen him before. Everyone had. Seunghan, the CEO of INFINITE ICON, one of the biggest modeling agencies out there. No one in their right mind would expect him to show up here.

For a second, I thought maybe Chan knew him. But the second Seunghan stepped through the door, I could feel the atmosphere change. He wasn't friendly. Not even polite. He barely acknowledged Chan. His eyes were cold, scanning the room like he was annoyed he even had to be here.

Then it clicked. He wasn't here for any of us. He was here for her.

Ahrin.

We all knew she worked for INFINITE ICON, but none of us had ever really seen her in action. Honestly, I barely paid attention when anyone brought it up. She was just Ahrin, the girl we didn't really vibe with, the one who never quite fit in. I wasn't proud of it, but it wasn't like I went out of my way to be mean to her. I just... didn't get involved. It was easier to follow the group, y'know? Stay out of the drama.

But now, watching Seunghan and his team march in, I couldn't help but feel like something was about to happen. Like we'd been seeing Ahrin through the wrong lens this whole time.

Ahrin walked out from her room, dressed in casual clothes, but even then, there was something different about her. She wasn't the Ahrin who moved around quietly, trying not to be noticed. No, she looked calm, confident even, like this was just another day at the office for her. Seunghan's face softened when he saw her, but that was the only hint of emotion he showed.

"Let's get this done," he said, his voice clipped as if he couldn't wait to leave.

The rest of us stayed back, unsure of what to do. Han leaned over to Hyunjin, muttering something, probably a joke, but I couldn't take my eyes off Ahrin. This was her agency. She was their main model. And we had front-row seats to whatever this was about to be.

Chan shot Seunghan a polite smile, probably hoping to break the ice. "Do you guys need anything? We can—"

"No," Seunghan cut him off sharply. "We're fine."

Okay, so that wasn't awkward at all.

They started setting up their equipment—lights, cameras, all the fancy stuff I'd only seen on TV or in magazines. It didn't take long before the villa looked like a full-on professional shoot. And right in the center of it all was Ahrin.

When she stepped into place for the first shot, I swear, it was like watching a completely different person. She straightened her posture, lifted her chin, and suddenly, she looked... incredible. The soft, unsure Ahrin we'd all gotten used to was gone. In her place was this poised, elegant figure. I mean, I knew she was a model, but I didn't really know, if that makes sense.

The photographers gave quick instructions, and she moved with this effortless grace, shifting from one pose to the next like she'd been born to do it. There wasn't a trace of the girl who got overlooked in the kitchen or ignored in the living room. The way she held herself—it was like the air around her had changed.

I glanced around at the others. Hyunjin had stopped whatever he was doing and was watching, eyebrows slightly raised. Even Han, who usually couldn't care less, was paying attention. No one said anything, but I could tell they were all thinking the same thing I was.

We'd never seen her like this.

The shoot went on for what felt like hours, but I couldn't stop watching. Ahrin commanded the space, effortlessly shifting from one mood to another, playing with different expressions that looked like they belonged on the cover of a fashion magazine. No wonder she worked for INFINITE ICON. This was her world. This was what she did, and she was good at it.

Seunghan stayed close, watching everything with that same cold intensity, but when the shoot finally wrapped up, he gave Ahrin a small nod of approval. No warmth, but I could tell he respected her work.

As the crew started packing up, Ahrin walked past us, heading towards her room again, and for the first time since I'd met her, I didn't see her as some quiet, invisible figure lurking in the background. She wasn't the outcast I thought she was.

I leaned back on the couch, still trying to process everything I'd just seen. There was more to Ahrin than I'd ever given her credit for. And for the first time, I felt like I actually wanted to understand her, not just follow everyone else's lead.