Work of Art || Luwoo

08

|| Lucas ||

Lucas heard his boss Madame Maudelle call out for the models while waiting behind the stage. Everyone straightened their posture, fixed their clothing and headed out to the runway.

The model and his colleagues took turns strutting down the long stage with a variety of high-fashion looks. Lucas had just finished his first run on the stage and things were going smoothly. He reentered behind the curtain and ran to his change room where he'd speed change into his next outfit. While waiting for his next turn behind the curtain, he could hear the shutter from the countless cameras. The sounds reminded him of that one photographer he'd always spotted at his shows.

Lucas had to admit, the boy was pretty cute. His fluffy hair floated around his head and his small stature made him look fragile. That photographer was amazing at his job. He had seen a few of his photos from the shows and the Caller Magazine photographer made the models and clothing look ten times more amazing. The model didn't know why he kept thinking about the boy. He wasn't attracted to him. He couldn't be. He had girlfriends in the past, but he had a hard time with relationships since his contract didn't allow it, or at least anything that was too high profile. A dating scandal would make their stocks crash and Lucas couldn't afford to lose his job. The boy shook the idea from his head. He had better things to focus on and he decided that he would return to the problem some other time.

Lucas waited in the line once again for his next turn. Just before he reappeared on stage, that photographer's face reemerged in Lucas' mind. He stepped out and began to put on a show. He straightened his posture and put on a dramatic face. He walked swiftly down the long stretch of a runway and waited a few seconds at the end. He scanned the crowd for that boy that seemed to be taking over his thoughts. He decided that if he could lay eyes on the boy one last time, it would put his mind at ease but he couldn't see due to the bright lights and sporadic camera flashes. He started to walk back behind the stage in disappointment.

- - -

The after party was nothing but extravagant. He spent the night roaming the decorated room, talking to attendees and posing for countless of pictures. He chatted with a few models that he was close with and was eventually pulled into a large group by none other than Madame Maudelle. Her face lit up with a large smile. She was clearly proud of her hard work. She flaunted Lucas to the fans around her, talking about his dedication and manners. She explained to them how much effort she put into designing the clothing he was currently wearing, and how amazing he made the pieces look.

The night carried on with Lucas and Madame Maudelle hand in hand trapped in the middle of a large group of people. The model was having fun. He always enjoyed the chances he had to talk to the public. Lucas was having the time of his life until an unexpected boy approached the tightly knit circle of celebrities.

A small man with striking night blue hair, a fashionable outfit and a camera strung around his neck approached the group. The photographer and the fashion designer shared a few words and Lucas stood quietly beside the small yet powerful woman. Lucas began to lose focus as he mindlessly listened to the two's conversation. Their words started to transform into white noise and Lucas could no longer decipher what words the pair was sharing. He snapped himself out of his daze and finally took a closer look at the boy who stood in front of them instead of just the clothing strung across him. Lucas had a tendency to only notice a person's clothing. He was a model after all. He spent his working hours surrounded by clothes and high end fashion. Lucas took in the boy's features and his heart seemed to stop. He heard Madame Maudelle call the fashionable boy by the name Jungwoo and realization kicked in. Caller Magazine's lead photographer Jungwoo Kim stood as a shy boy in front of the model. The rumors were right. He was quite cute after all. Lucas seemed to forget how to breath when the attractive boy asked to see him personally. Little Jungwoo stuttered over his words and stared at the ground as if there was something infinitely interesting about it.

The two young men shared a few words. Lucas wanted to get to know the photographer better and asked him various questions about his job and personality. He needed to put a close to his mind's obsession with the photographer. He gave himself this one conversation, then he'd be done with the subject.

Jungwoo finished taking his photos and waved goodbye to the accomplished model. Lucas waved him off and returned to his circle of acquaintances. He didn't know that photographer very well, but something about him stuck in Lucas' head and he still struggled to shake the boy from his memory.