It's Just A Picture (BL)
Chapter 41: Wait, what? I was invited to the anniversary party?

Chapter 41: Wait, what? I was invited to the anniversary party?

The shoot had been centered on angels and gods from the start. The purity of it all. Blue, white, and gold, but then the theme changed.

We were going into a darker side.

The solo shoot was going to star both a devil and a god.

Whereas Seojin was the one being portrayed as the devil in the first shoot, Seojun was the god. But these roles weren’t fixed. After the first shoot, they would switch roles.

The devil betrayed the god, aiming for its head with a sword, and the god, aiming for its black heart and stabbing with a spear.

This featured a story about two brothers who turned against each other over a mere mortal.

It was kinda cliche but this was the type of plot that attracted the public eye.

The theme was great and gorgeous, and both played their part well, but there was still something bothering me.

I stared at the lunch box that had been sent to me by...

"Hello, Director. I am Park Jiwoo. Seojun Oppa asked me to bring this to you."

It was another lunchbox. Last time, it was Yaeran, Seojin’s assistant, who brought a lunchbox. This time, it’s a girl named Jiwoo.

"Ah, thank you," I said and took it from her.

She left and like before, I got a text from Seojun.

"Hope you enjoy the meal, Hyung." With a smiley face at the end of it and a picture of a similar lunchbox.

I guessed he got one for himself too.

"They don’t have to go this far, though." I muttered, opening the lunchbox. But then, I paused, realizing something. "They won’t continue doing this, will they?"

I gulped. If they did, people would definitely start noticing and they would start getting attention from the wrong direction.

"Should I stop them?" I asked myself, but one bite of the meal rendered me weak, and that idea vanished. "I... I’ll just enjoy it for now."

I looked at my phone, the text Seojun had sent. I was getting a feeling something wasn’t right with him but of course, it could’ve been my imagination.

I didn’t want to meddle with them. Even if something happened, he had his brother to take care of him, so I didn’t need to worry.

The second half of the shoot commenced, and halfway through, while I was waiting for the boys to be done with their makeup retouch, I heard from Taiha that Seojin had gone home.

"What? What happened?" I asked, shocked.

"He said something came up, and he wasn’t looking so good, so I let him go." He explained.

’Ah, my hunch was right. What if he’s sick?’

"But Seojin is here so we can continue." He said. "Let’s at least take care of the other part of the shoot and figure out the rest tomorrow." He said.

"I..." I clenched my fists and then let go. "I understand."

"Oh, and also, I left the invitation on your desk. You’ll need it to enter the event hall on Friday." He said and I tilted my head, confused.

"What? What’s going on on Friday?" I asked and he looked at me with a blank expression.

But seeing I still wasn’t getting it, he palmed his face and said,

"Gah, I forgot you’re just joining the team. You probably haven’t heard of it yet since you don’t have an assistant either." He said and placed his hands on my shoulder. "On Friday’s the Wailers anniversary party." He said.

Ah, I think I heard of that from a few people, but I didn’t know there was going to be a party, and I definitely didn’t know it was that coming Friday either.

"Then, the invitation?" I asked, hoping he’d explain that as well.

"Well, you’re part of Wailers now. Though not everyone gets invited, you’re a photographer and one of the people who will make the big thing happen in the future, so you get an invitation." He explained and I nodded.

"Ah, I see." I said, rather calmly. But that was because I didn’t realize the gravity of his words. It struck me right after and I exclaimed loudly, "Wait, what? I was invited to the anniversary party?"

"Shh, I know you’re excited but you don’t have to scream about it." He said, poking his ear with his pinky finger. "You’ll burst my ear drum."

"But is this real?" I asked. "Can someone like me really attend such a grand party?"

"Of course. I was given an invitation to hand to you so that means you’re qualified." He said and threw his arms around my neck. "This anniversary is like a magnet, dragging in the bug wigs, so a lot of people use this opportunity to get sponsors." He explained.

Yeah, I know about parties like these. Models, actors, and even musicians. If they wanted to make a name for themselves, they needed to at least be connected to one or two big shots. It wasn’t a necessity but if your company doesn’t favor you enough, you have to at least find someone who will back you up.

It was like a hunting zone.

The prey looks for the predator that can protect them, and if they’re not careful, they would get eaten in the process. And the predator just has to wait till the prey walks into its trap.

One way or the other, the prey has a lot to lose and the prey, that artiste, would end up being controlled by the sponsor they were attached to.

’Ugh, I don’t like this.’ I thought.

"Come on, I know what’s on your mind." Taiha said, bringing me out of my rapid thoughts. "Though a ton of shit happens, there are still real opportunities. It’s not always a dog shit fight."

"You mean..."

"Yeah. You can also meet some big shots, introduce yourself, leave a good first impression, and walk away. You don’t always end up in bed with the sponsor." He explained.

Well, I wasn’t worried for myself in the first place. I’ve met a lot of crappy people, so I had a general comprehension of human beings. My boys were in this fight as well. I didn’t want the entertainment industry to taint them but I guess it was inevitable.

I just hoped they wouldn’t need to pass through ’sponsorship’ issues.

Well, with a face like theirs, I don’t think they would even need to find sponsors. They were so nice, approachable, and handsome. I was certain the method Taiha talked about would work well for them.

"Then, I hope things go well." I said and he patted me roughly.

"Don’t be such a paranoia and look towards the opportunities, my friend." He said. "And also, you’ll have to wear something classy, so pick out a nice tux so no one can look down on you. Got it?"

"Yeah, I got it."