Chapter Text
Kun was fond of consistency, he loved the idea of having a routine that he was comfortable with and stuck with for all his life. He wasn’t big on any monumental change, it was scary to him, to have his life altered, so he tried his hardest to keep things within his comfort zone.
But the universe was so incredibly fond of tilting his world off of its axis, the first hit being by the meteorite in his life known as Dong Si Cheng.
“Sicheng, you know I’m not qualified for this! Why would you sign me up for this?!” Kun cried out as he gripped his phone, eyes wide as they helplessly scanned the email he was forwarded for the umpteenth time.
“What do you mean not qualified? You take plenty of photos! Surely this isn’t something you’re not familiar with.”
“Of scenery ! Not people! Let alone people in motion!” Kun groaned eyes squeezed tight as he rubbed the sides of his temples. “I take pictures of architecture, nature, and the sky on a rainy day in China, not in a different country! And the closest experience I have to taking pictures of others is the occasional selfie that even I delete seconds after!”
“Well, now you not only have the chance to go to another country but also to check taking pictures of people off your bucket list!” Sicheng smiled awkwardly as he clapped a hand on the elder’s shoulder. He gave it a small comforting squeeze but it did nothing to soothe the nerves that were building up in Kun’s stomach.
Kun hesitated greatly before opening his eyes and looking back at the screen in his hands. The email he was facing felt as if it was mocking him. The small confetti that cascaded down the screen every time he scrolled up almost made him sick.
‘Yves Saint Laurent.
Félicitations monsieur!
It is with great honor and privilege to have you take interest in photographing our runway models during the Fall Winter 2023 YSL Fashion Show in Paris, France. As a way to show our appreciation, please click the link below to receive information pertaining to the event as well as how you may access funds and or travel assistance to reach the event! …’
Kun didn’t dare continue reading. Seeing his last name being formally addressed in the thank you would ultimately send him into cardiac arrest. He took a deep breath while lowering the device in his hands, he then turned to Sicheng who smiled innocently as his hand gently fell from Kun’s shoulder and back to its place slack beside him. “I’m really sorry for not telling you much, a friend of mine saw there was an opening and I’ve seen your photography skills and you’re so good at it! I recommended you immediately and even showed some of your works and they loved it!”
“They were bribed.” Kun blurted out. “You mean to tell me they blindly saw my works that had no experience with models and thought ‘ Oh! We need him! Get me, Qian Kun, now!’ ?
“Okay, maybe my friend has a little pull with the staff there, but the point is they still want you! Now you have a free flight over there, all paid expenses, you can’t back out of that.”
-
“You can’t back out of this opportunity, Ten!”
Ten felt like he was about to be sick as he stared at the pretty invitation in his hands that was formally addressed to him. “Doyoung, I can’t just participate in this! What about my schedules-”
“They’ve been cleared!”
Ten balked at him, the room almost spinning as he watched the way Doyoung crossed his arms over his chest. “They want you to take partnership with their brand and have decided to even add you to their model list, not just anyone does that!”
“I’ve never modeled before in my life!”
“You have had plenty of photoshoots for comebacks and magazines, this is perfectly within your experience, Ten. Come on, this is a great opportunity!” Doyoung practically pleaded as he held onto the roses with the signature YSL brand logo on the front. “You’d regret it if you didn’t take this chance.”
Ten continued to stare at the card in his (now) shaky hands. Normally, he was fond of any new opportunities. He liked the idea of pushing boundaries and further challenging himself, but something about modeling for a world-renowned brand on one of the biggest fashion shows in all of Paris had him slightly unsure of himself.
“Ten, I would not sign you up for something I did not think you were capable of, yeah?” Doyoung smiled slightly as he rested the roses on the top of the dresser Ten was beside. “But really, if you feel uncomfortable with the whole situation and wish for me to decline their offer, I will make arrangements for something else to take that place in your schedule. Remember what I say?”
“Friend first, manager second,” Ten smiled slightly as he lowered the invitation onto his lap and looked over at Doyoung who offered yet another smile in his direction.
“Right, now I’ll let you think about it, okay? That fashion show is in about three weeks and the deadline for the guest list should be in a week from now. You have time to think it over and let me know.”
“Alright, I’ll think about it for a bit and I’ll let you know when I reach a decision.”
“Perfect, in the meantime, I’ll be making a couple of adjustments to your current schedule since I noticed you were a little too heavily booked for this week to the point where it feels inhumane.” Ten laughed softly at the way Doyoung wrinkled his nose in a similar fashion to how a rabbit would.
“Thank you,” Ten smiled in appreciation as he watched the way Doyoung headed toward the door.
“No need to thank me, just let me know what you decide later on.”
Ten nodded though it wasn’t important as Doyoung’s back was facing him as he left his dressing room. There he was left alone with the overwhelming presence of the flowers and invitation by him. He brought the card to his face again, the thin paper holding a little weight. He kept looking at his name, finding it a little strange how this moment was even real.
Doyoung was always one to bring him great opportunities, all that he would 100% do again just to relive them. He was beyond grateful for him and all that he’s done for him and wished he could somehow repay him for everything.
With a small sigh, Ten let the invitation drop gently onto the dresser next to the black roses Doyoung had placed there. He then picked up his phone and tapped the screen to see the time.
1:46 PM
He had around 14 minutes left to himself before his room would suddenly come alive with different people with different jobs all pertaining to his appearance. He would have stylists come in and touch his hair and face all while asking him questions about his preferences for today. It was the same routine for the most part. One that he grew fond of with the years of being an idol. It was demanding at first, he often times felt out of breath from looking at the schedule on its own, but now it brought him excitement.
It was a wild bubbly feeling of what could happen next and what the world had in store for him that day and the next to come. It was such a rush, one that had him smiling from ear to ear for the majority of the time.
With that in mind, he couldn’t help but glance at the invitation one last time. It was as if it was calling his name. While chewing the inside of his cheek, he clicked the screen on his phone once more and unlocked it with the Face ID.
His fingertips worked faster than his thoughts and overall hesitation as he quickly sent out a message that sunk in the second the words ‘Read 1:54 PM’ appeared beneath it.
To: doyoung <3
i’ll do the fashion show
-
“I regret this, I regret this, I regret this! ”
“Calm down! You haven’t even boarded the plane yet!”
“But I just saw it!” Kun cried as he looked out the large window that outlook the runway as well as the terminals that were connected to the planes. There he could see the large aircraft he was soon meant to board in a couple of minutes making his stomach tighten in an uneasy way. “Sicheng, I really think maybe this was a mistake. Are you sure I can’t cancel on this last minute?”
“I already told my friend you were going and you already sent the confirmation! You have to go now!”
Kun helplessly clutched onto his phone as he awkwardly paced around in a circle. He was sure that the whole airport was watching him and most likely judging him, but he could really care less about it. It was his first time flying and it was his first time leaving the country to do something he had never done before. It was extremely overwhelming and he didn’t know how to handle it in ways that didn’t involve him panicking even more.
“Where do I even go when I land? Who do I even speak to? I don’t know french!” Kun groaned as he continued to pace around.
“ I hope you know that Paris isn’t limited to just French. There are people there who also speak Spanish, a little English, and even Chinese. I think you’ll be fine! Just stick with the information in the email and make sure you keep that pass that was sent to you on you at all times when you arrive there.”
Kun gulped slightly. He was about to rant more about his inner turmoil until a small squeak left his lips as he heard his flight number being called on the speaker. For a second he hoped he heard wrong, but his flight was suddenly in green next to the words ‘ now boarding’ on the monitors around him making his blood run cold.
The speakers must have been loud enough for Sicheng to hear over the phone because the younger excitedly cut him off as well.
“There you go! Have fun and make sure you message me when you land in 11 hours!”
“11 hours!?” Kun borderline screamed, even more so when he was met with the sound of the call ending.
His eyes widened as he pulled his phone from his ear and stared at his home screen before it turned black forcing him to meet his reflection. He swallowed thickly as he pocketed the device. He had almost forgotten that he was holding his ticket in his free hand, the paper suddenly extremely heavy along with his feet as he hesitantly forced his way towards those in line to get their ticket checked before boarding.
Staring at the line ahead of him, he made eye contact with the woman standing collecting the tickets. She offered a kind smile, one that was slightly reassuring before she continued her gaze down at the ticket and pen she was holding as she wrote on the paper.
He continued staring until he ultimately was at the front of the line. He was sure that he must have come off as some sort of creep, but the woman who now stood before him continued to smile at him while reaching out for his ticket.
With a shaky hand, he handed it to her making her laugh softly. Somehow, it didn’t feel as if she was mocking him. “First time flying?”
Kun nodded his head sheepishly, the anxiety he was feeling laying on his bottom lip as it remained chewed and nibbled at to the point where it was on the verge of bleeding.
“You’re in great hands,” she quickly reassured while circling something on his ticket before handing it back to him. “Enjoy the ride and make sure to appreciate just how beautiful home is from the sky. Maybe you'll find yourself enjoying it more than you thought.”
Kun took his ticket back and nodded his head slowly with a small smile. His nerves were slightly eased with their small interaction, he was sure she was some sort of guardian angel sent from above to help him during this moment of crisis.
With a small nod that ended their short-lived interaction, Kun turned his attention to the terminal where those before him in line were walking down and toward the entrance of the plane.
He took a deep breath before making the first initial step down the terminal.
Here goes nothing.