My Platinum-Blonde Childhood Friend is Too Pretty - Chapter 38

WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS

Translator/Editor: Ryuu

◈ My Platinum-Blonde Childhood Friend is Too Pretty

Chapter 38: Fitting Model Job with Elli (2)

It happened so suddenly that there was no way to prevent it.

Of course, even if Ellie had approached me first and puckered her lips, there was no way I would have avoided or rejected her in the first place.

Maybe it was because of the lipstick she put on for the shoot, but even though it was a brief kiss, it felt like there was something foreign left behind.

So, my girlfriend, who suddenly kissed me, causing the studio to fall silent for a moment, was—

"......"

—now quietly pressing her forehead against mine as the photographer had originally instructed, acting as if she had done nothing at all.

But she couldn't possibly be unaware of what she had done, so her face was flushed bright red.

In that state, she looked up at me with trembling eyes, and I could feel the anxiety in her eyes, worried that she might have ruined the shoot.

Looking at my girlfriend's face, rather than being afraid of having ruined the shoot, I—

'Cute.'

—could only think about how cute she was.

I had to use all my strength to hold back a smile that was about to break out.

At the same time, as her boyfriend, I felt a sense of duty not to leave my anxious girlfriend alone.

So, I looked into Ellie's eyes.

-Smooch!

And gave her a quick kiss, slightly faster and a bit more intense than what she had done.

I planted a brief kiss on Ellie's lips, which were covered in that light red lipstick that had been tempting me since earlier.

"Ah..."

Ellie's eyes widened, and a faint gasp escaped her lips.

Turning away from her adorable face…

"I'm sorry!"

I bowed my head at a 90-degree angle to apologize to the people who were shooting for us.

Then, Ellie, finally snapping out of it, quickly followed suit.

"I'm, I'm sorry."

She bowed her head slightly next to me.

After apologizing for our mistake, I glanced around to gauge the atmosphere.

"Haa... These kids are so damn cute, seriously..."

"Did you see how he kissed her again to cover it up? Damn, that's so sweet."

I heard mixed sounds of sighs and chuckles from all around.

Fortunately, it didn't seem like our ridiculous actions had ruined the atmosphere too much.

And most importantly, the photographer and the director were…

"The picture looks good? This is why I like working with Chang-hoon. Did he capture this already?"

"If I stopped shooting every time there was a little trouble, I would have opened a small studio in the neighborhood by now. But the kids are clothing models, right? Is this okay? Things like this are sensitive these days."

"It's not like we're selling kids' clothes. These days, even middle and high school kids do everything. Of course, we'll cut out the kissing scene, but the scene right before... this one. We have to use this. Alicia's expression is perfect."

"It did turn out well. Honestly, it’s more about the good material than my skills."

"Your skills are good, which is why the final product is great. Soon enough, your pay will increase, and it'll be hard to call you for work."

They were discussing work seriously.

Feeling awkward as we stood side by side, the director approached us with a big smile once things had settled down.

"Guys, great job! It was tough, right? How about a quick drink before we start the next shoot?"

"Um, about the reshoot..."

"Huh? We're done with this outfit! The photos turned out great, so we're just going to use them as they are. Oh, do you guys want to see them?"

"Oh, uh... sure. Ellie, you want to see them too, right?"

"...Yes. I'm sorry, Director."

"It's fine. We have plenty of time today. Just make sure to be more careful next time. The kiss isn't the problem; it's the makeup getting smudged. But... I've never seen anyone kiss like that during a shoot before. Do you love your boyfriend that much?"

"Ugh..."

The director, speaking in a cheerful tone to reassure us, teased Ellie playfully.

Ellie trembled slightly, her face turning red as she clung to my sleeve and followed me closely.

I was relieved we didn't get scolded, but we definitely needed to be more careful next time. If we had to reshoot, it would have caused trouble for everyone else.

Not that I was sure if there would be a next time.

"Here, take a look. Doesn't it look good?"

The director showed us a series of continuous shots taken by the photographer, capturing the moments from earlier.

And in that moment, both Ellie, who was hiding behind me, and I, as well as Aunt Ye-rin who had followed us, all exclaimed in awe.

"Wow..."

Even though it was us in the photos, it felt like we were looking at someone else.

My face, smiling gently at Ellie with my arm around her waist.

Ellie's face, approaching me with dreamy eyes like a girl in love.

It was like a scene from a romantic youth movie.

Our lips hadn't yet touched, but anyone seeing this photo would imagine that a kiss was inevitable.

Then, as the photos quickly flipped in the director's hand, the next image on the screen was…

"We're not going to use this one, but it came out really well."

A clear picture of Ellie and me kissing.

Even though I was quite surprised by Ellie's action, in the photo, I wasn't showing a shocked expression but was instead smiling as I received her kiss.

And Ellie—

With her eyes half-closed, looking only at me, her face flushed, and her white hair softly fluttering.

She was kissing me with so much affection radiating from her half-visible face.

"Wow... this is... so beautiful."

"It really is..."

"......"

Even though everyone, including Aunt Ye-rin, the director, and others, were watching the photo of Ellie and me kissing, I didn't feel embarrassed at all.

It was too beautiful a scene to feel embarrassed about, just as Aunt Ye-rin had said.

Ellie, too, leaned forward, her gaze fixed on the screen as if she might fall into it.

And then—

"......Hehe."

Ellie's lips slowly curved into a smile, her eyes forming crescents. She let out a small, slightly silly laugh, probably unaware of it herself.

Seeing her entire face light up with satisfaction at the photo of our kiss, everyone around, including me, let out silent laughs. How could anyone not smile at this adorable girl?

Then, the director, smiling warmly as if looking at his niece, spoke to Ellie.

"Shall I send you the file?"

"...Can you really?"

"I'll send it to you as long as you promise to keep it to yourself until the photos go up on the shopping mall."

"I promise. I'll keep it to myself, so please send it to me."

"Sure, sure. But you have to make sure the rest of today's shoot goes without any incidents. Though if you could show us that kind of affection anytime we want, that'd be fine..."

"...I'll be careful. Lee Do-yoon, let's go."

"Yeah."

Ellie was burning with determination. I, too, felt more motivated, knowing we'd get that beautiful photo.

After that, our shoot proceeded smoothly and was soon wrapped up.

There was a moment when, seeing Ellie in overalls, I felt a strong urge to kiss her again, but thinking about the photo we'd receive, I managed to hold back.

After about an hour, all the activities were finally over.

Before leaving the studio, the director once again suggested that Ellie and I become regular fitting models together. I only half agreed.

I wanted to be her partner when she shot couple outfits like this time, but I didn't want to do solo shoots for menswear.

It was a bit selfish, but the director seemed pleased with the photos we took together and nodded readily.

"If you change your mind, just let me know. By the way, will you be coming with Ellie even when there's no shoot?"

"Probably."

"Got it... Good work today. I included today's payment with Ellie's, so you two can buy something delicious. See you next time."

Even though I didn't know much about this industry, I could tell that they were going out of their way to accommodate us, which made me naturally feel more positive about them.

I also felt reassured that Ellie was working with such a considerate director.

On the way back in the car,

"How exciting~ Ji-eun is going to be so amazed. I have to show her this quickly~"

Aunt Ye-rin chattered excitedly while driving.

Ellie, meanwhile, was staring blankly at her phone, looking at the photo files we had just received. It was a picture of us kissing, gazing into each other’s eyes.

I was peeking at it too, and though I had been fine earlier, a slight sense of embarrassment crept in now.

The thought of so many people watching that scene in real time…

Nevertheless, Ellie's face, kissing me, was so beautiful that I couldn't help but keep my eyes glued to the smartphone screen.

As we neared the familiar subway station area where we often hung out, Ellie lifted her head.

"Mom. Let us off here."

"Going to hang out? Haha… Sure~ You'll probably just see Ji-eun sulking, but have fun."

"Okay."

With that, Ye-rin stopped the car, and Ellie and I got out.

Ellie linked her arm with mine and, half a step ahead, confidently led me somewhere.

"Where are we going?"

"Just follow me."

A moment ago, she had been sitting quietly, but now, as soon as we got out, she was walking with an excited voice and brisk steps.