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"Does your husband know that you've asked me to meet you here, alone, Ms Yoon?"

Minhee sighs, it's never easy with the Kims, is it? Taehyung is sitting on the chair comfortably, with his feet up on the table— a little too rude here but Minhee will have to put up with it.

"I would like to ask a favour from you, Mr Kim."

Taehyung hums, picking a tissue from the stand kept on the table as the waiter serves them a pastry along with the coffee. He keeps it on his face and tries to blow it in the air. Minhee is baffled, seeing such an attitude of the model and repeats herself again.

"I am listening." Taehyung says, voice muffled as the tissue lands on his face again.

Is he angry that his pictures weren't used for Persona's cover?

Minhee exhales, reminding herself to be patient. "My friend Abbie here," she gestures to the woman sitting beside her— blonde and short hair, doe eyes and tanned skin— who bows at Taehyung in greeting. Taehyung bows back and goes back to giving the tissue an air ride.

"She owns a fashion brand Roseanne and we are collaborating to launch a new clothing line. We are conducting a live show on Youtube to launch it and would really like to have you on board with us as the main model."

Taehyung sits up properly, raising an eyebrow. "And you have come to me in person for that?" he chuckles, "Must be very important to you, Ms Yoon. What do you get after helping a small brand launch a new clothing line?"

Minhee rolls her eyes. Taehyung looks extremely unbothered by the way the air gets uncomfortable. Abbie shrinks herself, staring at her feet. Minhee would otherwise resent that attitude, not standing up for your brand or speaking up but Minhee can't be bothered by that. Right now she needs Taehyung on board at any cost.

"Is it your ticket to Paris?" Taehyung sounds like he's mocking her and Minhee gives him a sharp glare.

He raises his hands up in defence, shrugging. "Rumours spread fast in the industry Ms Yoon, I didn't want to know that you didn't get the Jung deal and simultaneously lost your chance to go to Runway fashion week but I have ears and people have a mouth."

"The live show would be premiered on the billboards around our building too and we hope to garner at least—"

"Just to let you know," Taehyung cuts her off, "I can't get you to Paris because Mr Jung already has me signed up for the Runway week. Fifty shows. But neither can I work with you nor ask him to give you a slot in one of his shows."

Minhee grips her knee as her patience runs thin. "Mr Kim, we have asked you to be the main model at our live show and that's that. We never asked you to do either of what you have assumed we have offered."

Taehyung nods, gives a glance to his manager who gives him a shrug. He looks back at her, "What is in it for me? I don't have a greed for money, you know."

Minhee looks at Abbie who's staring back at her doe-eyed. "What would you like, Mr Kim?"

Taehyung grins. "I haven't thought about it but consider it as a done deal. You owe me, I will ask you to repay me when the time comes."

Minhee nods, immediately gesturing to Mina to give Taehyung the contract. He signs it and he's out of the cafe, with a small wink at Abbie who looks away, flustered.

"Thank you...Ms Yoon..." Abbie says, bowing at her, "It has always been my dream to work with Mr Kim."

Minhee internally scoffs. So working with that saucy idiot is people's dream now?

"The pleasure is mine Abbie, you deserve to get recognised. Your new clothing line is exquisite, like nothing ever seen before." Minhee smiles, patting Abbie's shoulder, "Get ready for it, you have one week."

...

"You're late Jeongguk!" Mrs Jeon scolds, hitting her son's arm. Mr Jeon immediately leans down to pet Bam. "Didn't you grow up too much boy?"

"I am sorry Mom, Bam wouldn't wear the tie!" Jeongguk whines, rubbing his arm. Mrs Jeon glares at him and Jeongguk scoffs. "You don't believe me? Ask Bam why he didn't want to wear that tie, you made it for him."

"Minhee has been waiting for you," Mrs Jeon says, pushing Jeongguk towards the said woman, sitting on a chair in the corner of the photography studio.

"Yeah?" Jeongguk smirks when Minhee looks up at him. "Were you waiting for me, wifey?"

"Sure." Minhee simply replies, stretching her lips in a thin line. Jeongguk shrugs, sitting on the chair beside her, "This was your idea so you can wait for a little while, right?"

Minhee sighs. "It was your Mom's idea."

"But you made it happen."

"She told me she wished to have some pictures with us and the family, what did you want me to do?" Minhee furrows her eyebrows, raising her voice slightly. Jeongguk glances at his parents and after making sure they are busy doing their own thing, turns towards Minhee again.

"Ignore and move on, like you always do."

Minhee almost brings her middle finger up to shove in his face but a loud Mrs Jeon from outside tells her that her parents have arrived.

"Family pictures should include your parents too, Minhee."

Oh, you're an angel, Mrs Jeon.

"Is everyone here?" a guy from the studio asks. "What was it again? Wedding photoshoot? Three couples?"

Jeongguk chuckles, shaking his head as Minhee corrects him. "Family photoshoot," and then mumbles, "Can't you read properly?"

"We don't mind a wedding photoshoot," Mr Jeon says, slipping an arm around his wife, "Our love is still young."

Jeongguk shakes his head in disgust as Daejun laughs, "I am sure that's because your wife dyes your hair every two weeks."

Mr Jeon sighs, "It's actually every week now."

And they break into laughter. Bam all of a sudden barks at the studio guy who was leaning on the counter, half-asleep. He wakes with a shiver, squeaking as he tries to get away from him. Jeongguk pulls Bam back as the guy breathes.

"I am David. I will be your photographer for today and please keep your dogs at bay."

...

"Can you come closer? The young couple." David says, gesturing at Jeongguk to move closer to Minhee. Jeongguk's parents are seated in front with Bam in between them as Minhee's parents stand on either side of the couple— Daejun beside Jeongguk and Eunhye beside Minhee.

"Don't be afraid to show your love here, Son," Mr Jeon looks back at them. "We don't mind PDA."

"Dad!" Jeongguk whines. He looks at Minhee who nods slightly and he is quick to pull her close by her waist. Minhee swallows, stopping herself from letting out a gasp at the sudden action.

"Alright, smile," David says. "That's good. The aunty at the left, can you stand straight please?"

"Who did you call an aunty?" Eunhye scoffs, doing as he says.

"Should we call you a young lady then?" Mrs Jeon jokes and the shutter goes off. Bam starts barking at the flash and Minhee is immediately scratching his head. Jeongguk is taken aback by how instantly the dog quiets down and seems to be leaning into her touch.

Maybe it was her instinct or a habit she couldn't help but her other hand that was on Jeongguk's back, suddenly mimicking similar gestures that Minhee was doing on Bam's head. Weird shapes, scratching, rubbing and whatever shit that was making Jeongguk grow hot.

The kiss is still fresh in his mind and the current proximity between them doesn't help him. He notices how Minhee doesn't feel soft, or smell lavender. Today, it's stronger, almost musky, that draws Jeongguk in. She feels stiff under his touch but she's pliant too.

What are you doing to me Yoon Minhee?

Another shutter. "Alright, you'll get your photos by the evening, just tell me the details—"

"Wait for a second young man," Mrs Jeon interrupts, getting up. She gestures at Jeongguk and Minhee, "Click two-three pictures of me with my children too."

David nods as Mrs Jeon asks him to remove the chair. She stands in between the couple and Minhee feels chilly as soon as Jeongguk lets go of her. How does he stay warm like that all the time?

"Are they not my children?" Mr Jeon says, in disbelief. "Why am I not clicking a picture with them?"

"Has anyone stopped you ever?" Mrs Jeon bites back. "Come here you two."

She pulls Minhee by her cheek and Jeongguk by his ear and he winces. "That is not fair!" the younger whines, rubbing his ear as his mother laughs. "I am going to take revenge..."

He wraps his arms around her, engulfing her completely in his hold. "I am going to make sure your cheeks are squished enough to make you look like a fish."

"This brat, fish—"

"—Minhee," Jeongguk says and there's a wide grin on his face. Minhee, who was watching the exchange with admiration in her eyes, feels her heart thumping loudly in her chest. How can her name sound like that from him?

"Squish mom from that side, make sure to put your cheek against her."

"Son, you haven't shaved properly." Mrs Jeon whines but she is smiling.

Everyone is smiling, so why does Minhee want to cry?

"Minhee!" And she is immediately wrapping her arms around Mrs Yoon's shoulder, whispering, "I am sorry, Mrs Yeon but you have soft cheeks so I won't let go of the opportunity," she presses her cheek against the elder's.

The shutter goes off and Bam is by her leg then. "Quick Bam, quick, get your cheeks squished by your dad." Jeongguk is immediately leaning down. "Minhee, can you get a chair please."

And she does, to have Bam sit on it as Jeongguk poses beside him with wide eyes. Minhee can't help but scoff, "You really look alike."

Jeongguk rolls his eyes, "You look more like him."

Minhee raises an eyebrow, Jeongguk raises his and the next moment, he is reaching out to her and pushing her on the other side of Bam. "You'll see now." he smirks, "David, the three of us too."

And just before the shutter goes off, Bam starts wriggling in their hold, smudging his nose against their cheeks. "It tickles Bam!" Minhee whines but it's jovial, with a grin.

"You always ask me and wonder, why him? Have you ever looked into it yourself, why him?"

Why is it you, Jeongguk?

Somewhere along the afternoon, David is off to have his lunch and Jeongguk has the camera now. Minhee comes by his side as their parents rest on the benches there while Jeongguk is taking pictures of Bam. "How many pictures will you take of him?"

Jeongguk gives her a side glance before bringing the camera near his eyes, "Until I find a photo good enough to rival your new fashion pictorial."

Minhee scoffs, rolling her eyes. "You know things before even my secretary does."

Jeongguk chuckles, "And that's your cue to change your secretary."

Minhee pinches his waist and Jeongguk hisses, biting his lip. He gets back to clicking Bam's picture when he speaks again. "Clothing line premiere with Taehyung as the main model on Youtube, huh?"

"Yes, what else would you like to know, Mr Jeon?" Minhee tries to mimic Secretary Kim's monotonous voice and Jeongguk shakes his head, "Oh don't make me miss him now."

A beat of silence passes.

"So, you do know how to sell things huh. Impressive, Mrs Yoon."

Minhee is surprised. Did he mock her? It should sound like that but it feels like he's acknowledging her. What's gotten into you Jeon Jeongguk, why are you not being yourself?

"You have Taehyung so there should not be anything to worry about. He's the sold-out king."

Why is he talking so naturally about this?

"Do you want one with your parents?" Jeongguk all of a sudden asks, looking through the pictures on the small screen on the camera.

"No..."

"Your dad and you are wearing the same colour today, I think you should get one with them." Jeongguk shrugs, looking towards Daejun. He is sitting alone as Mrs Jeon and Mr Jeon are looking around the studio.

Jeongguk gestures to him, encouraging Minhee to go to him. Minhee sighs.

"Where's mom?" She asks her dad, walking towards him. Daejun looks around for a moment before saying, "Washroom."

"Mr Yoon, look this way," Jeongguk says, looking through the lens. "Minhee sit down."

And without question Daejun looks at him with a natural smile and Minhee sits beside him. Jeongguk scoffs, "Is he a stranger? He's your dad, get closer."

One more hit added to the tally marking of 'How many times should I hit Jeongguk?.' The count is honestly more than five hundred.

Minhee scoots closer to her dad, hesitating but there's a warm hand on her shoulder, it instantly makes her lean towards him.

"Say cheese."

Shutter.

"One more, make a V and say cheese."

Shutter.

"One more—"

"My cheeks hurt Jeon." Minhee whines, rolling her eyes. Jeongguk scoffs, "Yeah? Then try pouting. Mr Yoon, please make a face like a fish."

Daejun laughs, "I know what a pout is Jeongguk."

"Alright then, look here," Jeongguk smiles, getting his camera ready again, "To keep a pout say Dad, I love you."

And it's a surprise to Minhee when her dad laughs, she finds herself smiling too.

I do love you Dad.

...

Taehyung wasn't wrong when he said that the fashion live show is Minhee's ticket to Paris.

However, she is not finding her way there through him but through Abbie. It was after she realised that if she doesn't go to Paris, the total revenue difference between Wings and Miranda would decrease to just two per cent, which will have consequences Minhee doesn't even want to think about.

So she asked Dahyun to search up for the fashion brands that wouldn't ask for much and are capable enough to get at least one slot of their model in just one show. It hurts Minhee's pride that she has come so long, just to settle with whatever is being given to her but then she remembers her father's words from last night.

"You don't have a job, but a responsibility."

If they just manage to reach a particular amount of pre-sales then they'll be eligible to be invited as an audience in the worst case. Though she hopes, the rumours of keeping slots empty for last-minute changes is true.

"Thirty seconds to go, models standby. Taehyung, be ready." The staff announces. Minhee is sitting in the corner, watching everyone work around their live show. She hasn't been to fashion shows before but it is fascinating how much confidence and pressure the air has at the same time. There's this look on the models standing on the rack, that they are the best in the world— something similar to what she had seen on Taehyung's face back then.

On the countdown, the VCR plays and the show starts.

Let me introduce you to 'Dionysus'—a never seen before urban clothing line by Roseanne."

The room lights up and the song plays as the models walk one by one on the ramp. Minhee keeps glancing at the increasing views on the screen in her hand and then at the pre-order number she can see on the laptop kept at some distance.

"Once we get Abbie's pre-orders, we just need to send a request to Ego's secretarial office to get an invite for us."

"Won't it be too late? They send invites a month before to everyone." Eunwoo asks, as he helps Minhee select the pieces for the fashion show.

"We aren't aiming for thirty shows for seven models like every year, so it shouldn't be a problem."

Minhee sighs. It's been five minutes and they have only received a hundred pre-orders. How are they going to make it work with such a small amount? They have seven minutes more of the show because they planned to not 'bore' the audience with excessive footage or marketing but if this is the rate or pre-orders, then they'll be getting only around three hundred or so.

"This seems like a fail. Do you have a plan B?"

Minhee rolls her eyes, not even turning back to see who it is. "Why are you here Mom? Shouldn't you be tailing behind Ryu?"

Mrs Yoon sighs, "When will you realise I am doing all of this for you?" Minhee scoffs.

The models look a little stiff, probably nervous. Minhee shakes her head, she should have hired better models. She trusted Abbie and of course, she chose people according to her budget.

"Now the final piece is extremely special. It's the signature of today's show, the 32-carat diamond tuxedo! There's only one piece in the whole collection!"

And there comes Taehyung

He walks in with a stoic face, as if unbothered by his surroundings but when you see his eyes— there's the fire, the same desire Minhee had seen during the photo shoot. He walks like he owns the place, even the diamonds fail to outshine him.

"One piece because the designer doesn't have money for more." Mrs Yoon hums, patting Minhee's shoulder."Nice, you are selling it like a rare item. Welcome to the world of business my child, finally."

Minhee clenches her fist, trying to keep her calm and not cause a scene.

"Thank you for joining us."

"Prepare a plan B, my baby." Mrs Yoon says, chuckling. Minhee is staring at the timer which now shows 00:00 on it and the lights dim.

"It's okay Ms Yoon..." Abbie walks towards her. Her face doesn't match what she says, it's clear that she is disappointed. "We worked hard, we actually got five hundred pre-orders, that's a first too..."

Minhee shakes her head, sighing.

And then it happens, the spike in numbers.

"It's going up!" someone excitedly says. "Three thousand pre-orders."

"Five thousand in the first fifteen minutes, oh my god!"

"Ten thousand!"

The numbers keep going up and Minhee scoffs. She stands up and turns towards her mother, standing face to face. She smirks, leaning closer to her mother. "Never count your chickens before they hatch as they say...."

"Thirty thousand pre-orders," Dahyun cheers, almost crying. "We are fucking going to Paris!"

Minhee chuckles as her mother glares at her, taken aback. She whispers in the older woman's ear.

"See you in Paris, Mrs Yoon."

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pack your bags and tissues, we are going to Paris :)