If Creator Was In Ninjago (Volume 1)

Situation (Chapter 11)

~LucasV point of view~

"Okay… how did I get myself into this situation?" I muttered, feeling utterly overwhelmed as I stood in front of the camera, wearing a set of beautiful and intricate clothing.

"Hehe, you look amazing! Now, eyes on the camera, my beautiful idol!" the female photographer said enthusiastically, her team nodding and smiling in agreement as they adjusted the lights.

I sighed inwardly, feeling a bead of sweat roll down my temple.

~Flash back~

Earlier, I had been wandering the streets, trying my best to find a job. But no matter where I went, the same issue kept popping up—people took one look at me and assumed I was just a kid.

"Sorry, we can't hire someone your age. It’s not appropriate for the type of work we do," they would say, leaving me no choice but to move on to the next place.

‘Great… how am I supposed to find a job if everyone treats me like I’m going to cause chaos just by existing?’ I thought, groaning in frustration as I eventually made my way to a small fountain in the middle of the city.

I sat down on its edge, staring at the water as I tried to come up with a new plan. But before I could think too long, a frantic voice pulled me out of my thoughts.

"Excuse me, kid! We need your help—it’s an emergency!"

"Huh?" I said, looking up in confusion to see a woman standing in front of me, her face full of panic.

Before I could even respond, she grabbed my hand and started dragging me along.

"Wait! What’s going on—?" I tried to ask, but she didn’t answer. She just kept running, pulling me behind her until we reached a bustling studio full of lights, props, and people rushing about.

~End flash back~

And now here I was, in front of a camera, being told to pose like an idol.

‘This is so problematic…’ I thought, pinching the bridge of my nose. Still, I couldn’t really complain—this was technically a job, even if it wasn’t exactly what I had in mind.

"Alright, give me a nice pose!" the woman called out, motioning for me to strike a pose in front of the camera.

I hesitated for a moment before raising my chin slightly, placing one hand on my hip, and glancing to the side in what I thought might look like a confident pose.

The photographer and her team lit up with excitement. "Oh my gosh, you’re perfect! You’re so suited to be a beautiful model!" she exclaimed, snapping pictures rapidly while the rest of the crew adjusted the lighting and gushed about how great the photos looked.

I sighed again, resigned to my fate. ‘At least I found a job… I guess.’

A few hours later, I was sitting on a chair, sipping water and trying to relax after the whirlwind of modeling. My attention was caught by two workers talking nearby, their hushed voices piquing my curiosity.

‘What are they talking about?’ I thought as I discreetly eavesdropped on their conversation.

“Did you hear about her?” the first worker asked in a low tone, glancing around nervously.

“No, what happened? Is something wrong?” the second worker replied, looking confused.

“Well, there’s some news going around that she’s been using drugs… and selling them, too,” the first worker said, his voice dropping even lower.

“What?! Are you serious?” the second worker gasped, her face filled with shock.

Before they could say more, the woman in charge shot them a sharp glare. “You two! Stop gossiping and get back to work now!” she barked, her voice authoritative and cold.

Both workers flinched at her tone and immediately scrambled to their tasks. “Y-yes, ma’am!” they stammered in unison before hurrying away.

‘Well… that was some interesting news,’ I thought, glancing at the woman who had just scolded them. She turned her gaze to me and approached with her usual no-nonsense demeanor.

“Hey, kid. Get ready for another shoot, okay?” she said briskly.

I nodded. “Yes, ma’am.”

She turned to one of the assistants, a tall man standing nearby. “Val, pick out something beautiful and cool for him to wear,” she ordered, her tone leaving no room for argument.

The man, apparently named Val, sighed lightly and nodded. “Got it,” he said, then turned his attention to me. “You must be the new idol, huh?”

I nodded again, feeling a bit out of place. “Yes, sir.”

“What’s your name?” he asked as he started walking toward the dressing room, motioning for me to follow.

“My name is LucasV, sir,” I replied, trailing behind him.

Val stopped abruptly and glanced back at me, his eyes narrowing slightly in surprise. “Wait… you’re a boy?” he asked, though his expression quickly returned to neutral.

“Yes… people often mistake my gender,” I admitted, trying not to sound too annoyed.

Val’s lips quirked into a faint smile as he nodded in understanding. “Right… Well, my name’s Valker Richardo, but everyone just calls me Val or Valker. Feel free to do the same,” he said casually as we reached the dressing room.

He pushed open the door, revealing rows upon rows of clothes in every color, style, and fabric imaginable.

“Here we are,” Val said, gesturing to the room with a wave of his hand.

I stared at the overwhelming selection of outfits, already feeling a sense of exhaustion creeping over me.

‘Well… this is going to be a long day,’ I thought as Val began rummaging through the racks, pulling out clothes and muttering to himself about which ones would suit me best.

A few hours later, after countless photo sessions in various outfits, the team finally wrapped up the shoot. They informed me of the payment I had earned and handed me a neatly packed meal as a token of appreciation. I thanked them politely before making my way back to the apartment, feeling utterly drained.

When the elevator reached my floor, the doors slid open, and I stepped out, spotting Harumi and her parents entering their apartment. Harumi briefly glanced back and noticed me, offering a small smile, which I returned before continuing toward my own door.

Once inside, I closed and locked the door behind me, letting out a deep sigh. ‘Hah… this is really tiring.’ I thought as I set the meal on the table and grabbed my pajamas. A hot shower was exactly what I needed to wash off the exhaustion from the day.

The warm water helped ease the tension in my muscles, and by the time I stepped out and changed into my pajamas, I already felt slightly more human. I headed to the table and unpacked the meal they’d given me. It wasn’t anything fancy, but it tasted decent enough, and I appreciated the gesture.

After finishing my meal, I cleaned up quickly and made my way to the bedroom. The moment my body hit the bed, I let out a contented sigh, sinking into the soft mattress. My mind wandered to Lloyd and the others. ‘Hope they’ll be alright,’ I thought, a pang of worry gnawing at me.

It wasn’t long before the weight of the day caught up to me. My eyelids grew heavier, and soon, I drifted off to sleep, the faint hum of the city outside lulling me into a dreamless rest.