He quickly discovered that although he was now taking his clothes off for money, it was just a job like any other. He’d always thought that he’d feel dirty working in the sex industry, in any capacity, but it was more like having a big new group of friends, one of whom he happened to have inventive and athletic sex with every so often.
Tao, Sehun, and Chen invited Baekhyun out for drinks before his first week was over. While they were involved in the filming process, running cameras and making music and helping with the sound or staging, the company was small enough that they also performed in the films they helped create sometimes.
“Bottoms night out,” Chen announced, shooing Chanyeol away when he tried to follow them. Baekhyun, still feeling like the new kid, trailed after feeling rather lost. Tao smiled, and walked beside him.
“We do this every so often,” he explained. “Because it’s nice to get away from overbearing, domineering tops once in a while and just hang out.”
“Chanyeol hasn’t been like that,” Baekhyun said, feeling naïve.
“He will,” the others chorused. “Let him get used to you. He’s still unhappy about Himchan leaving so suddenly,” Sehun added.
“That was more than a month ago,” Chen snorted. “Almost two, now. Tell him to get over himself.”
Still feeling in over his head, Baekhyun looked between them. “Is that bad?”
“Sort of an unwritten rule,” Tao said. “Don’t fall in love – it’s just business.”
“Unless you’re the manager,” Chen quipped. Tao blushed.
“We were together before he took the company over,” the Chinese man said defensively.
Baekhyun was still puzzled. “But why should falling in love matter?”
The other three exchanged a look Baekhyun couldn’t decipher. “Well, for one, jealousy,” Tao said finally. “If you’re deeply in love with someone, it’s hard to watch them either fucking or being fucked by someone else. And especially since this is such a small company, let’s say Chen has a thing for Kai, his usual partner. Can you imagine how much trouble we’d all be in if he saw Kai fucking Sehun and lost his mind?”
“Kai’s a good lover, very attentive, but I wouldn’t want him for a full time boyfriend,” Chen said, playfully shoving Tao. “He’s too high-maintenance.”
“I still don’t get it,” Baekhyun said, more to himself than any of the others. “But I guess I’ll figure it out.” He remained mostly quiet for the rest of the night, watching the other three interact. There was nothing at all to suggest their profession in either their words or their bearing. For some reason, Baekhyun had gotten it stuck in his mind that someone would eventually be able to tell by looking at him. They were completely at ease with one another, however, and easily drew him in when he looked like he wanted to join the conversation, or simply let him be around them when he didn’t.
Apart from the financial aspect, Baekhyun was beginning to see his decision to apply to Sinful Confessions as a blessing in disguise.
*
The next time he went in with Chanyeol, they were doing an actual film. Baekhyun was given a costume – neatly pressed pants, expensive-looking shoes, a button down shirt, tie, and blazer – and a script. The title was “Teacher’s Pet” and in a stunning display of unoriginality, they were posing as high schoolers. Extras were brought in to round out the small class, and Baekhyun was to be the lead – with Chanyeol acting as teacher.
