As he sat in the studio, he wondered for the hundredth time that day if there had been some mistake. Jungsu held still as the makeup artist patted his face, what felt to him, aggressively, when in truth the makeup artist was quite gentle in her application.
Jungsu stood straight as a rod while the hairstylist combed and gelled his hair to one side for a messy, but effortless look. Meanwhile, the makeup artist seemed to be applying a little bit of lipstick to his lips. Jungsu looked at her, puzzled as to why he needed lipstick, but the woman simply silenced his questions and blotted out the lipstick.
Looking in the mirror, Jungsu thought he looked like a clown. He didn't know why a perfume brand would wish to collaborate with him of all people. It would've been better for them if they had gotten someone like Dong-ha or Seung-gyu for this role. Jungsu had no prior experience as a model, nor was he very comfortable being photographed as it was in his very nature as a spy to avoid a camera. Not to mention the staff from Double Shift were also filming him at the moment as he sat still being pampered as if he was some kind of a star.
"Jungsu, any words to your fans?" Yujin, a staff member from Double Shift asked him as the camera zoomed in to focus on Jungsu's face.
"Hello." Jungsu said without moving, as he was hyperaware of the hands that patted his face.
"This guy..." Yujin said, then decided to back away for now.
The stylists and makeup artists had made it their job to ensure that Jungsu looked the best he could today. They were especially motivated by the brilliance that Jungsu had emitted when he walked into the studio with a blank canvas that was bursting with possibilites.
For his clothes, Jungsu was wearing a black pair of trousers and a navy button-up shirt which Jungsu had buttoned all the way up. Once they were done with him, Jungsu stood up and followed the stylist to the studio where she unbuttoned the top three buttons of his shirt. Jungsu stared down at her, dumbfounded as she opened another button. The stylist had to stop herself from opening another as the temptation had been too great once she had gotten a peek at his chest.
And so, Jungsu found his way in front of the camera and stood with his arms folded across his chest. The photographer had to practically pry Jungsu's arms off his chest, at which everyone in the studio audibly gulped. Though he had an irritated look on his face, his stance, his frame, and the demeanor he exuded, caused more than just flushed cheeks.
The photographer, Sungmin, took a moment to absorb the irritation on Jungsu's face as his mind raced at the various poses he wanted Jungsu to do.
Sitting Jungsu down on the chair, he pushed him farther down so that Jungsu was now slouching on the chair. As Jungsu looked up at the photographer from his more relaxed state, Sungmin felt his heart skip a beat at the effortless and seductive appearance of Jungsu.
Stepping back to his camera he clicked one photo before Jungsu said, "Could you give me a moment?"
Jungsu exhaled long and slow, his head falling onto the neck of the chair as he tried loosening up his body. He heard a click and glanced up to see that the photographer was looking at him with wide eyes.
"Tell me what to do." Jungsu said as he let go of his senses and simply acted the way they wanted.
The photographer gestured and indicated for Jungsu to place his arms and legs in a certain degree and angle. Jungsu picked up the poses pretty quickly and stared back at the camera with an empty look.
"Jungsu, put more feeling into your look. More alluring and arrogant."
Jungsu recalled what he had observed in Dong-ha, Jae-ho, and Seung-gyu. Their arrogance and the charm they exuded was part of their personality. Jungsu had felt arrogant at times, though he wasn't sure about the alluring part, he would try.
As Jungsu closed his eyes, he opened them again as a different person. Someone who was arrogant in his abilities and his appearance, and someone who used their looks to their advantage. Jungsu had met many people like that. They knew how to be alluring, as would he now.
"Perfect! Keep that exact look on your face!" The photographer exclaimed as he directed Jungsu to shift his head this way and that way along with moving his hands.
The atmosphere in the studio turned to that of surprise as everyone including the Double Shift staff were impressed by Jungsu's modeling skills. They hadn't expected Jungsu to be any good at this. From his uptight demeanor and the way he usually avoided the camera, they hadn't thought he'd be able to engage with the camera in such an intimate way.
Jungsu was then moved to the wall and told to lean against it as the camera moved closer. He turned his head to the side and looked at the camera. Then the photographer had him bring his arm over his head and lean back. Every woman in the studio felt lightheaded at the image of Jungsu that was projected on the computer screen. Even a couple of men were blushing at how he appeared in the camera with his sculpted chest and the way the shirt hugged his broad shoulders.
After a few more poses, along with Jungsu's firm denial at opening any more buttons upon the request of the photographer, they were finally done. Jungsu immediately buttoned up his shirt, which was captured in great humour by the camera for Double Shift. As he had been told that the clothes were his to keep, he didn't bother changing out of them, and instead threw on a light brown trench coat.
He thought he was done shooting for the perfume, however, he was stopped by the filming crew for the perfume.
"Thank you so much for the shoot Jungsu! It was a real pleasure working with you. Here is a token of our gratitude." The director said as he handed Jungsu a bag pull of perfume, along with other cosmetic supplies.
"Your payment will be handled by the staff and should be in your bank account by the end of the week."
Jungsu bowed his head in thanks, bidding them farewell as he thought,
I'm getting paid for this?
Jungsu walked outside with the staff and entered the van, this time choosing to sit in the front. The silence was heavy in the car as the staff all looked at one another trying to think of ways to get Jungsu to talk. Meanwhile, Jungsu had simply closed his eyes and felt something in the pit of his stomach.
Yes, this must be that feeling.
Leaning his head back against the headrest, he pressed his lips together grimly. Jungsu was mortified. For some reason, he could feel the embarrassment seeping into his skin. He'd never felt this way before as acting had practically been a part of his job. However, that was when he wasn't being filmed for every second of it. And usually, those who had seen his acting never knew he was anything other than what he presented himself as in front of them. Or, they ended up dead if they did. But now, Jungsu was faced with the idea that his image would be distributed for people to see. He clenched his fists as he felt utterly exposed in that moment.
But there wouldn't be that many people to see it. Though the perfume brand was well-known, Jungsu was sure that other models or celebrities would be more interesting to look at. Jungsu nodded his head with his eyes closed, then opened them, feeling a little better about the situation.
"So, Jungsu... what would you like to do for today?" The staff asked him hesitantly.
Jungsu glanced back at them as they held the camera in their hands while warily staring at him. Jungsu's eyes lit up as he looked at them, causing the staff to glance at one another in worry.
"How about Myeongdong?" He said.
"Okay, sure Jungsu." The staff nodded in agreement and Jungsu leaned back in his seat in satisfaction.
The staff then asked Jungsu about what type of clothes he liked and what type of food he wanted to eat there, to which Jungsu gave detailed responses. It was only because Jungsu felt bad for what he was about to do.
The van stopped and Jungsu pulled on a baseball hat over his head, along with a black mask over his face. The moment they entered Myeongdong, Jungsu had already given a brief apology to the staff and told them that he would meet them in front of the van at eight, before darting away. The staff tried in vain to reach for him, but Jungsu had already vanished into the crowd, leaving the staff flabbergasted as they lowered their camera in defeat.
Jungsu reached into his pockets and pulled out the silver necklace that he'd been carrying around since the morning. He pulled out his phone to send a message, but before he could, he spotted her.
Ara stood leaning against the wall of a store, her head covered by a grey baseball hat. Despite his wishes, his eyes trailed down, taking in her long legs in a pair of skinny jeans and a leather jacket. He was amused by her outfit as it seemed like a poor attempt to remain inconspicuous, yet she was anything but.
Her amber eyes widened as they connected with his. Pushing off the wall, she made her way towards him, appearing both arrogant and hesitant at the same time.
Jungsu had managed to get her number from Officer Hyun-su after threatening to not show up to the perfume shoot. After a bit of banter, he had finally given Jungsu the number. He hadn't wanted to call her immediately, yet he felt a thrill thinking of her irritated voice. So he'd called her and demanded she meet him the next day if she wanted information, along with her necklace. Jungsu knew she wouldn't be able to resist. She was too young to be an investigator at twenty-three, indicating that she was not only smart, but also ambitious. Yet, looking at her face, he wondered why she would've chosen to be an investigator when she could've been anything else.
"Funny seeing you here." She said sarcastically as she walked alongside him.
They made their way down the street, glancing around at the bustling market.
"So, let's hear it. What was it you have to say?" Ara broke the silence, lifting her head up to glance at him in question.
"What should we eat?" Jungsu asked as he looked around in contemplation.
Ara made a face as he continued browsing before pulling her with him towards a cafe. She could swear that he seemed like a child in that moment the way his eyes were twinkling at the different desserts laid out in the display case. But that was ridiculous. He was anything but a child, despite him being younger than her. She could sense it in the calculation in his eyes as he assessed the room. She could almost hear what he was thinking. What are the possible escape routes? How many steps until the emergency exit? What is that person reaching behind them for?
He was far too large to be a child, nor did he look like one with the way he towered over almost everyone. And his muscles... that was something she didn't wish to ponder too long on.
"What would you like?" Jungsu asked her, to which Ara, wanting him to spend money, pointed out three items in the case along with an iced coffee.
She was disappointed later when he simply nodded in response and proceeded to order seven additional items in the display. Ara narrowed her eyes as she wondered where all that food would go, looking at his considerably small waist.
Once they'd gotten their food on three trays, they had needed three for the amount of food they had ordered, they made their way to the tables. Jungsu was about to sit down on a table closest to the exit, Ara could practically see the clogs in his brain turning, when Ara grabbed his arm and dragged him to a corner of the cafe. Sitting him down with his back facing the window and the people, she rolled her eyes at him as he tilted his head.
"You know you have to take your mask off to eat, right?" She asked him as she took off her jacket and draped it over the back of the chair.
"Yes. I am aware of that." He nodded his head slowly as if not understanding her.
Ara let out a breath as she said, "You're starring in a variety show. You're famous. Do you not see a problem in that?"
"I'm not famous. Maybe there will be a couple of people that will want to take photos but that's all."
Ara shook her head in disbelief at his blatant refusal to see himself as a celebrity. Taking off his mask, she was once again stunned by his appearance. It seemed irrational, his existence. What kind of a spy was as handsome as he was? He seemed to be more a spy one would see in movies, except they too wouldn't be able to make it look as convincing as him. Or, Ara begrudgingly admitted, look as good as him.
As she took a bite of the piece of cake he had ordered for himself, she watched in satisfaction when she noticed a twitch in his jaw.
"You are famous. Even more so now after someone uploaded your little fire-spinning moment."
He simply shrugged and started eating as if she hadn't said a thing. She would be lying if she hadn't felt amused as his eyes grew large at the taste of the cakes, the bread, and the donuts. She wondered how much many desserts he had gotten to eat in North Korea, if anything at all.
Suddenly feeling curious about him, she asked, "So, did they feed you any cake up there?"
He shook his head as he continued to eat, keeping his focus on the food at the table.
"We only ever ate vegetables, rice, and meat."
"So you had cake for the first time in Korea." She said resting her head against her fist.
Jungsu shook his head, and opened his mouth between his bites to say, "Moscow."
Ara narrowed her eyes, feeling goosebumps rise on her arms as she stared at him in astonishment.
"Moscow?" She said in disbelief.