Work of Art || Luwoo

40

||Lucas||

There's never anything good on TV at night and I've been clicking through channels for close to an hour. The sun has just started going down, so I still have a few hours of my day. I text Yuta.

Lucas
Hey are u busy?

Yuta
No just sitting here u coming over?

Lucas
Maybe...

Yuta
Damn now I gotta put on clothes

Lucas
Gross dude

I get up from the couch and pull on some running shoes. I'm still wearing my pyjama pants but I don't bother to change out of them. Yuta knows me well enough. I text him again when I'm about to leave.

Lucas
On my way

Yuta
I'm waiting

|||

As usual, Yuta's unlocked the door for me so when I get there, I'm able to walk right in.
"Yuta?" I call down the hallway.
"Living room!" His voice echoes back.
I take off my shoes and find Yuta sprawled on the couch.
"I'm quitting." Yuta's eyes are fixed on his movie when I walk in, but he sits up straighter than I've ever seen once I give him the news.
"Say that again?" He blinks at me a few times.
"I said I'm quitting." I shrug and Yuta comes over to me and grabs my shoulders.
"Are you feeling okay? Lucas, you're rich! What are you doing? This job is your life!" He starts shaking me and I have to push his hands away.
"I'm going to get fired if I keep going behind the company's back, anyway. It's not worth it." Yuta stops being dramatic—surprisingly—and listens to me."
"This is because of Jungwoo, isn't it?" I nod.
"Wow." He whispers under his breath as he walks away from me and goes back to the couch.
"If you care that much about him, then I've got your back." He calls over his shoulder and motions for me to sit down.

|||

As usual, I pull into the back of the Mode Maudelle building and find my reserved spot. I've done the same thing so many times before, but today it feels almost sad. I'll be saying goodbye to this place pretty soon. I catch my mind wandering off, going down a dark road about if I'm doing the right thing. I shake my head and push the idea away. This is what I want.
I flash a fake smile at the reflection in my phone and feel a little embarrassed for doing so. I just want to make sure it's not obvious that I'm loosing my mind right now. Even though I'm pretty sure I'm making myself look even more worked up. I'm not even quitting yet.
Clearly, I've chosen the best day to be stressed. I'm stuffed into some expensive and fancy looking outfit and sat at a makeup vanity  in a room swirling with other models and some of our makeup and hair team. I smile at the makeup artist when she comes to my table, but we don't talk much while she works. Pre-shoot has never felt so long and I think for the first time in my career as Top Model that I'm bored just sitting here, with these busy bodies around me. Some models fall asleep in their chairs and I try to copy them to make the time go faster but with my mind racing, I already know I won't be able to. At least I can close my eyes and 'relax'.
"You're good to go." The guy that was fixing my hair taps my shoulder and sends me out of the room. Im escorted to the set where there are already a few other models waiting around. I try to spark up a conversation like I normally do while we wait to start, but the other models just tilt their heads and look at me. I get a few pity laughs and some answers, but they don't give me more than two syllables. I'm thankful when we're told where to go on the set. Now I don't have to talk anymore.
"Mr. Wong, I need you to look a little less stiff. Relax you're arms." I'm trying to look relaxed, but it's hard when I'm in the centre of a photo, clearly the main model. It's a great reminder of the news I'm about to drop on everybody at this company that rely's on me.