Keep Your Head Up - Chapter 6
Ch. 6
The next day Kyuhyun called Ryeowook, asking if he could come over.
To his relief the other didn’t sound hangover; he claimed to be a strong drinker, and Kyuhyun believed him.
When he stepped into Ryeowook’s apartment Kibum wasn’t there.
“Has he gone home already?” Kyuhyun didn’t care whether it was an appropriate question or not, he liked things to be said straight-forward, even though Ryeowook didn’t seem like that kind of person.
“Who?” Ryeowook turned away from the coffee he was brewing, to look at Kyuhyun with a rare, tender look. “Kibum? He’s a light sleeper; I would have walked him up a million times. He walked me to the door, that’s all.”
He turned back towards the coffee, pouring it into mugs, successfully hiding his blush when he wondered if Kyuhyun had been jealous.
“Oh…” was all the answer that the brown haired young man could offer back.
“So,” Ryeowook handed him one of the mugs, “what did you want to tell me?”
“First of; who is your favorite model? Don’t say Kate Moss! Only amongst male models, this time.” He was getting excited. Not only had he secured both of them a spot at Vivienne Westwood’s Winter Collection photo shoot (Donghae had somehow made Zhoumi generous, even though Kyuhyun suspected that Zhoumi very simply just was a nice person, with an eye for talent.) but he would also be able to tell Ryeowook of his meeting with one of the biggest models in the world.
Zhao Lei; 188cm tall, Chinese, studying a medical degree before he became a succesful model.
Has walked for big designers such as Giorgio Armani, Vivienne Westwood, Dolce & Gabana, etc.
Noah Mills; 188cm tall, Canadian.
Has walked for Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, Dolce & Gabana, Versace and Michael Kors, and other big designers.
“I guess..” he looked thoughtfully up into the loft, taking a sip of his coffee. “Noah Mills, professionally. And because he’s down to earth and relaxed. But Zhao Lei is more.. umn.. how to say it..”
“-your type?” Kyuhyun laughed.
Simon Nessman; 188cm tall, Canadian.
Known for several big names such as Giorgio Armani, Versace, Dolce & Gabana, Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, Yves Saint Laurent, Tommy Hilfiger, Lacoste, Michael Kors, etc.
Francisco Lachowski; 188cm tall, Brazilian.
Has walked for Gucci, Dior Homme, Versace, Dolce & Gabana, Lacoste, Armani, and many more.
“I feel the same way about Simon Nessman - he’s great, but Francisco Lachowski has this thing, a look in his eyes and makes you fall in love with him and it’s the same thing that you got, and it’s-”
Ryeowook dropped his mug on the floor, sending hot coffee and shards of porcelain everywhere; only then did Kyuhyun realize what he had just said.
Kyuhyun tried to meet Ryeowook’s gaze, but the black haired immediately looked away, looking for something to dry up the spilled coffee with.
“Don’t-” Kyuhyun stopped him, grabbing his wrists. “I’ll do it in a minute. Just.. let me finish.”
Ryeowook, unable to do anything else, nodded.
Kyuhyun actually intended to confess now, just in this moment. But the confused look in Ryeowook’s eyes and the spilt coffee made him think that it would be effortless. This was one-sided, and who wouldn’t prefer a friend over a rejected love?
“I met Zhoumi in the club yesterday. The famous Zhoumi. The one who should have been on the top of both our lists. And he gave us a job. For Vivienne Westwood!” He tried his best to sound enthusiastic, but he wasn’t sure if he could fool someone who knew him so well by now.
Anyway, he hadn’t expected Ryeowook to react this way.
“YOU WHAT?! CHO KYUHYUN, TELL ME THAT YOU DIDN’T JUST FUCK BOTH OF US TO THE TOP! That’s… that’s… disgusting! What the hell did you do to my friend, because you’re not the Kyuhyun I knew!”
Kyuhyun wrinkled his nose, not the least liking that Ryeowook would think that way of him. (Even though he had had intentions to fuck him, didn’t mean that he actually did it.)
“So how does it feel to get there so easily?” Ryeowook asked him, voice trembling with anger.
Kyuhyun glanced at him, noticing how his arms were crossed and his eyes cold, before looking back down at the coffee-mug in his hands.
Ryeowook wasn’t the only angry one though.
“Well, if it bothers you that much, I’ll get you out of the deal, and you won’t have to do the Vivenne Westwood-shot with me.” Kyuhyun answered back angrily, almost yelling now.
“Why did you get me in to begin with? I’m not even close to being that good! Did you honestly think that people wouldn’t think that I slept my way to the job too?!”
“Maybe they won’t! Maybe they’ll see how amaaazingly innocent you are! Maybe they’ll know that I got you in on friendship, because what the hell’s the difference between fucking someone once or twice anyway?!”
“So you did fuck him?!”
Kyuhyun left the room, slamming the door.
©
A month later, with no communication between the two of them, Kyuhyun sat in the backseat as they manager stops in front of Ryeowook’s apartment in Hongdae.
When Kyuhyun lay eyes on his coworker, he is instantly concerned. Ryeowook doesn’t look like he has been sleeping at all. He discreetly sniffs, relieved when he smells coffee and not alcohol.
The silence in the car is so heavy that Kyuhyun begins to wonder if the air is safe to breathe in.
Their manager checks on them from the rearview mirror, but doesn’t say anything.
A bling-bling from Kyuhyun’s phone warned him that a text message had arrived.
‘He’s really so amazing, Kyu :D’
‘I know, you already told me.’ Kyuhyun answered back sourly, having a difficult time being happy for his friend, whose new relationship had cost him a precious friendship.
‘He is so tall~ I can’t believe how anyone can be so elegant! If those were my legs, I would trip at least once a day, kekeke’
Kyuhyun sighed, putting his phone back in his pocket without answering it, stealing a glance at Ryeowook who looked quietly out the window.
Not good enough for Westwood, pfft. You’re the most beautiful guy I’ve ever met, you stupid brat.
©
They arrived at the set and led to the make-up tables, where experiences make-up artists were waiting for them, none of them Korean, which made it difficult to lead a conversation.
Eventually the silence grew too much for young Kyuhyun, who had always been impatient anyway; “I didn’t do it, you know.”
Ryeowook looked at him, at first confused, then surprised once he understood what Kyuhyun meant; “Why didn’t you just say so back then?”
“Because I was angry at you. I thought you would.. you know.. realize that I hadn’t done it.”
“I did… I think.. The moment I decided that I wanted to go with you.. If I truly had believed that you had done it, I wouldn’t have come here with you today.”
Kyuhyun didn’t know what to answer and they both fell back into silence, until Zhoumi walked in, fashionably late.
“Hi Kyuhyun-shi.” He greeted him with a smile then turned to look at Ryeowook with kind eyes. “You must be Ryeowook-shi. I’ve heard a lot about you. You really are as beautiful as Kyuhyun-shi told me.”
Ryeowook’s eyes opened wide, staring from Zhoumi to Kyuhyun, mouthing the words; ‘You told him I’m beautiful?’
“Your strong point is your jaw-line. Make sure it’s visible and you’ll do great.”
Zhoumi’s eyes seemed so kind and gentle, completely innocent; Ryeowook couldn’t help but to instantly like him and only took his eyes away from him to look at Kyuhyun in disbelief.
©
When the make-up was done and the designer-fitted clothes put on, the three of them went to the set, in which there was a pool bigger than any Kyuhyun had ever seen before.
From his first glance at Ryeowook, he could tell that something was wrong, but this time he didn’t have to ask.
“I can’t swim..” the smaller, black-haired boy whispered, desperately, to him.
Kyuhyun’s heart cringed; he would gladly have thought Ryeowook how to, but it was too late now. Their manager had overheard him, and added in; “You don’t need to be able to swim, Ryeowook-shi. Just drop gracefully down until they have the shot, then flail your arms until you’re up. It’s that easy.”
They both ignored him though, and Ryeowook’s fragile fingers clawed at the fabric covering Kyuhyun’s wrists; “I want to leave..” he whispered this even lower, as if it was some terrible secret.
Maybe it was. People would kill to be in Ryeowook’s place and yet he wanted to leave, just because of some water?
Kyuhyun stared at him in disbelief. “Really?” if it was what Ryeowook really wanted, Kyuhyun would find a way to get him out of the contract. Somehow, surely, he would be able to help his friend.
Ryeowook really did want to leave, but still shook his head and mumbled a quiet “no. I have to stay.” Because if he left now, he knew that the guilt would follow him everywhere.
And, even more important, he didn’t want to leave Kyuhyun’s side.
Not now, not ever.
So when the cameraman gave the sign, Ryeowook jumped into the water.
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a/n: do you hate me for flinging in all the male-model-knowlegde I have? sorry ._. it's not something I would usually have, but I have been googling all kinds of model-stuff ever since I started writing this, /sigh/. no one is as pretty as Zhoumi though. Should have put in a picture of him too, LOL.