Chapter 4

#4. Amateur Model

After three days of dimensional travel, Jae-in finally stepped out of the house. The hometown neighborhood, which he hadn't seen in a long time, felt warmly welcoming and familiar.

'Amazing. It feels like I've stepped into a retro movie.'

The scenery he saw upon arriving at the studio was no different. Even in the brief moment of moving from the parking lot, it was intriguingly familiar yet strange.

While Jae-in was lost in the scenery from some past time, Jae-hyun shook his head at his brother's absorbed expression. People passing by on the street occasionally turned to look, but Jae-in was so engrossed in the sight that he didn't notice. He looked so defenseless, like a child on a field trip, which made Jae-hyun worry.

'How can he go around like that, with such an innocent face?'

He might get scolded for canceling meetings, but it seemed like a good decision to come along.

'Even the modeling job is like that. I can't say his face looks like an amateur; how would professionals see it?'

They decided to use an amateur model to find a fresh face, but his brother's face wasn't just fresh; it was divine. It was something that ordinary people couldn't match.

Large, clear eyes without double eyelids, long eye tails, slightly thick lips, and a high nose that didn't disrupt the harmony of his facial features. A small face with a sharp jawline and a long, graceful neck. His face, though masculine, was also beautiful.

With a height over 180 cm and a well-proportioned body, his brother looked like he belonged in a fashion magazine. He didn't fit the theme of today's shoot, which was about freshness and youth.

'They say that if a model doesn't fit, they get scolded on the spot and sent away... I can't let my brother go through that.'

Even if he was criticized for being overprotective of his older brother, he had no choice. After working as a Dungeon Striker for a few years, he had seen it all, but his brother, who had a normal life from middle school to university, was different. He needed this level of protection.

* * *

The photographer and assistant, who were in charge of the shoot, swallowed their breath when they saw Jae-in in his new outfit. They had thought he had an extraordinary appearance from the moment he entered the studio, but after he was properly dressed, he looked anything but an amateur.

If this were a fashion or advertisement shoot, there would be no problem. They would have welcomed him like finding a gem on the street. He was that striking and photogenic.

'It's as if someone is shining a spotlight on him. He radiates light from head to toe.'

However, his striking appearance was now a hindrance. He didn't blend in with the two models waiting to be photographed.

'This won't be easy.'

No matter how skilled the photographer was, it was difficult to balance the models when the skill gap was so large. The photos would likely turn out like a painting of Im Mong-ryong and Bangja, or a prince and his attendant.

"Sir, I think it's obvious that this won't work with him in front of the screen."

"Shh! Quiet. Let's take the photos first and talk afterward."

"Yes."

Despite knowing the outcome, the photographer pushed the assistant to start the shoot. They had to follow the client's request and put the three on the same screen.

"Let's start without any props. Bora, you'll stand in the middle as I explained. The two of you will look at Bora at first, and when I say to move on, you'll look straight ahead. If the photos turn out well, I'll ask you to move naturally. I'll take continuous shots at that time. Got it?"

"Yes."

"Don't be nervous. Think of it as visiting a studio with friends and take it easy."

"Yes."

It was a simple shoot, and the photographer didn't require much from the models. The instructions given to Jae-in were also very simple: side view, front view, and then move naturally. It wasn't that difficult.

'Just relax and don't be nervous.'

There were no instructions on what emotions to express or how to move. Jae-in stood comfortably and looked straight ahead. He was skeptical if he would get paid for such a relaxed shoot, but he was determined to get his payment if they tried to avoid it.

'Wow, that's good. Despite the slightly awkward pose, the determination in his eyes is impressive.'

The photographer didn't miss the moment when Jae-in, who had a gentle demeanor, narrowed his eyes. He revealed a strong will for a moment before it disappeared, but the photographer captured the change in atmosphere.

"Good. Now, move closer to Bora and look straight ahead."

"Yes."

"You don't need to answer. Just move your body."

From the photographer's perspective, Jae-in was indeed an amateur. He showed moments of captivating presence but mostly mimicked poses he had seen somewhere. The problem was that even with awkward poses and a stiff expression, he still looked good.

'Strange. Even with messy poses and expressions, I can't look away.'

This shoot was supposed to be simple, taking photos of a neat image in a suit at a reasonable price. They expected it to take about an hour, considering the mistakes that amateurs might make.

However, the shoot had already lasted over two hours. The photos of Jae-in kept turning out well, and the excitement didn't subside. The photographer was so engrossed in the shoot that he lost track of time.

'Oh! These photos are unusable.'

But none of the photos they took were usable. The photographer couldn't balance the three as initially expected. Changing positions, outfits, and props didn't help.

The problem was Jae-in, who was too good-looking.

When they took photos of the other two without Jae-in, they got exactly what the client wanted.

But with Jae-in, the photos were off. If you looked closely, it was like a secretary serving a CEO, or more honestly, two squids struggling under Jae-in's presence.

"Manager Ye-na. Please adjust Bora and Sang-hyuk's makeup. Can you make their under-eye areas a bit brighter?"

"Are you going to take more photos?"

"Yes, just a few more."

"Got it."

They had already slightly lowered Jae-in's skin tone to reduce the difference, but the fundamental gap couldn't be bridged.

'This is it. If this doesn't work, I'll have to give up.'

The photographer, despite feeling a bit hurt, decided to remove Jae-in. It was a pity to lose such a captivating subject, but it was beyond control.

"A pity."

"Exactly."

"Oops!"

"Cough!"

The photographer and assistant, who were checking the photos on the monitor, tried to avoid the topic. It wasn't appropriate to comment on an amateur, especially a client's acquaintance.

Still, they couldn't help but imagine. If the other two were professional models, they would have instructed them to show more presence. The image of three models fiercely competing would have been beautiful.

But in reality, the other two were satisfied just by not trembling and maintaining their poses under Jae-in's presence.

"Isn't he amazing, sir?"

"Amazing."

"I've never seen anything like this before."

"Me neither."

"Being overwhelmingly good-looking makes everything else unnecessary."

"Really? I didn't know that."

The assistant's opinion resonated with the photographer. In his career, he had seen many good-looking and beautiful people, but today was a new experience.

Even among the good-looking, some didn't look good in photos. No matter how fancy the outfit or how well the lighting and background were set, the photos didn't satisfy them.

But Jae-in was different. Even with a lack of expression and awkward poses, his photos were captivating. Despite not fitting the concept, the photos were still interesting to look at.

'Is being extremely good-looking the key? It seems the others were just lacking in good looks. Good looks are indeed the best. With good looks, whether you're an amateur or a professional, you can cover everything.'

While the photographer and assistant were having this epiphany, the guild's PR manager and staff, who had come to the shoot, were looking at the monitor with serious faces.

The results were excellent, but not what they wanted. If Jae-in were the guild's CEO, they would have called off the shoot immediately, but he was just an amateur model for the job posting.

"This won't work..."

"Right? If we post this, no one will look at the job posting. They'll just focus on Jae-in."

"True."

The PR manager meant that the photos didn't match the intended concept. The three in the photos looked like a young, good-looking CEO leading his subordinates, not new employees.

But the staff, who saw the same photos, had a different opinion. They thought that the other elements would be overshadowed by the good-looking model.

"Jae-hyun. Your brother is an amateur, right?"

"Right."

"Really? He looks so different from the photos I've seen before. Did he have plastic surgery...?"

"Stop! What nonsense."

"Oops! Sorry. Your brother is just too good-looking."

The PR manager and staff chose the model from the guild members' families. After seeing the plan to use an amateur model, they decided to make it an event.

After the model recruitment announcement, the guild's homepage was flooded with photos. Mischievous guild members even uploaded photos of their pets and children, competing to be the job posting model.

From the hundreds or thousands of photos, they selected these three, but the reality was different from the photos.

'While it's good in a different way, using this photo is still a stretch.'

To be honest, it would be better to remove Jae-in from the photo. His overwhelming good looks overshadowed the others.

The PR manager signaled Jae-hyun to step outside the studio. He felt bad for the hardworking people, but Jae-in had to be removed. He wanted to talk to Jae-hyun first to handle it well.

"Let's take a thirty-minute break. There's some snacks and drinks at the table, so feel free to enjoy them."

While the PR manager and Jae-hyun were outside, people gathered at the snack table. Staff and models alike picked their favorite snacks and drinks. Jae-in also took a sandwich and coffee from the table.

"Are you tired?"

"Yes. This isn't easy."

"Ha ha ha. Nothing is easy in this world. But you did well for your first time."

"Really?"

Jae-in didn't believe the assistant, who was being friendly. The shoot was too long, and they said it would take only an hour. It was hard to believe.

"Really. The photos are good, even if they don't match the concept."

"Right! We can't deviate from the concept."

"Excuse me?"

"Is it because of me?"

"There's no such thing, uh! No, no. I didn't mean it that way..."

The assistant wanted to hit his own mouth. Making such a good-looking person feel guilty was a sin. He had to ask for something, but his mouth was too loose.

The assistant strongly denied and reassured Jae-in. The delay wasn't his fault. Being good-looking wasn't a crime. The fault was with the photographer for not balancing the models. Jae-in had no fault at all.

"Absolutely, absolutely, it's not your fault, Jae-in."

"Thank you."

Jae-in's expression wasn't bright, even though he seemed convinced. He did as instructed, but the results weren't good because he wasn't a professional model.

"Here, have this. If you're okay, can you give me your contact information?"

"My contact information?"

"Yes. Here's my business card and the photographer's. Can I contact you later? The photographer wants to work with you again..."

"Sure, contact me."

The assistant asked for his contact information after the meal, but Jae-in gave his phone number right away. Whatever the job, he wanted to help since he caused so much trouble today.

As the assistant, who was grateful, bowed and left, Jae-in took a bite of the sandwich. At that moment, his brother came back with a smile.

"Brother, get up. Let's go."

"Huh?"

"You're cut. We're going home."

"!"

Jae-in felt the sandwich stuck in his throat.